Battle for True Democracy
by NCRMC
Summary: Armies of the East and the West are ready to clash once again. As the Second Battle for Hoover Dam closes in, the Courier looks to achieve total peace for the people of the Mojave. But in doing so, he will become an enemy to those who considered him an ally. He will not be alone for this fight. Allies are hiding among the shadows. Sequel to New Wars are Fought by Old Warriors
1. The East and West in the Divide

**HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL FALLOUT READERS! I AM BACK AND I AM READY FOR NEW VEGAS! I hope you all are. I was so happy to have finished New Wars are Fought by Old Warriors. Now I can bring you the sequel! I hope you're ready gang!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ!: If you haven't read my first story then this one is not going to make any sense to you. Read the first one before reading this one.**

**Also like my first story there will be weaponry from other Fallout games and real world clothing and armor. Slight change for vehicles though. Vehicles and aircraft from the 1940s to 1990s! Instead of 1970s. Getting a little modern here. There will also be much more modern music references in here.**

**I do not own Fallout New Vegas. All rights go to Obsidian and Bethesda.**

**Without further ado VIVA NEW VEGAS!**

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**Chapter 1: The East and West in the Divide**

**Intro**

_War…war never changes. The NCR, with the help of a young Courier, continue to wage war against Caesar's Legion. The Legion's efforts to launch their second attack against Hoover Dam have continued to suffer numerous setbacks at the hands of the Courier alone. With the death of Caesar, Lucius, and Vulpes Inculta, along with the destruction of Cottonwood Cove, The Fort, and the Legionaries at Nelson, the Legion is on its last leg to control the Mojave._

_The Courier, a former NCR Soldier turned civilian, has become a beacon of hope for the people of the Mojave Wasteland. Goodsprings, Primm, Novac, some of the many settlements that the Courier has helped against raiders, Powder Gangers, ghouls and other looming threats. His assistance to the settlements has not gone unnoticed by the NCR, specifically General Lee Oliver. As the Courier continues to focus more of his efforts in aiding the people of the Mojave, General Oliver is growing concerned that it's all a powerplay to remove not only the Legion, but NCR forces as well. With Mr. House out of the way and the Legion nearing defeat, the NCR is one step closer to annexing Vegas and the rest of the Mojave. However, with the Courier as a possible complication, the stakes are higher than ever. In order to protect the NCR's plans for the Mojave, General Oliver will stop at nothing to ensure the Courier doesn't stand in his way._

_Unbeknownst to General Oliver, there are other players. Hiding amongst the shadows._

**The Lucky 38: November 30, 2281. 1:18 A.M.**

Sitting in the master bedroom of the presidential suite was 29-year-old Jason Bowers. Jason was a lean man standing at almost six feet tall. With piercing blue eyes, raven hair kept in a high fade style, and a clean-shaven face, Jason was a dashing and charismatic looking man. Covering the entire left side of his neck, going down the left side of his chest was a very angry looking red scar. Though many people throughout the Mojave knew who he was, they always referred to him by his nickname. The Courier. Before becoming a Courier for the Mojave Express, he was a soldier in the NCR Army. Proudly enlisting at the age of 18, Jason served as an expert rifleman with the NCR's 4th Infantry Battalion. His unit was a primary asset in destroying the Jackal Gangs that had set up shop in the Mojave. In 2275, two years before the First Battle for Hoover Dam, Jason was stationed at Camp McCarren. He was a Squad Sergeant leading a patrol that was ambushed by a Fiend raiding party. During the fighting, Jason was severely injured, suffering two gunshot wounds to the stomach and third-degree burns from the left side of his chest up to the left side of his neck. The result of his healed wounds left him with the scar that you see now.

After Jason had recovered, the NCR had medically discharged him and sent him back home to California, despite his arguments that he was still capable of serving. Back in California, because he was no longer in the army and didn't have a family to return to, he felt out of place. Plus, finding work as a civilian proved even more difficult, because whenever people got a good look at the scar on his neck, he was treated like a mutant. Jason finally got a job as a Courier for the NCR, traveling all across California until finding himself back in the Mojave and going freelance.

After getting shot in the head by Benny while trying to deliver the Platinum Chip to Mr. House, he was no longer a simple wasteland mailman. Jason had become a Herald of Tranquility, bringing death to those that threaten the innocent people of the Mojave. From simple raiders, to the great Caesar himself, all that have stood against him had suffered his wrath.

He would never say he did it alone though. He always had help from his companions and close friends. Craig Boone, being Jason's closest friend, was always watching his back out in the Mojave. Rose of Sharon Cassidy, aka Cass, though she was as headstrong as Jason, she was always fair and compassionate with others. Veronica, Arcade, and Raul spent most of their time either helping out in Freeside or at the Lucky 38, but had always been there to assist Jason during major confrontations in the Wasteland. Lily had left a few weeks ago, encouraged by the Courier to seek out the remnants of her past. ED-E was floating in the corner of the room, waiting in stand-by mode. His cyberdog Rex, everywhere Jason went, Rex followed. Said canine was sleeping soundly on the bed as the Courier sat on the edge.

Jason was grateful to have such amazing friends by his side, helping them out just as much as they had helped him.

While everyone else was asleep in their rooms, Jason was wide awake and deep in thought. Earlier his Pip-Boy had blared to life with an encrypted message that he had read over and over again. The message had coordinates that lead to the Canyon Wreckage west of Primm. Beneath the coordinates were the words "Courier Six." It was signed, "Ulysses." Jason had a good guess at who this Ulysses was. The Courier that turned down the delivery for the Platinum Chip. Whoever this person was, he had the answers that Jason needed, and Jason was going to find him.

Finally reaching a decision, Jason stood up and walked over to his lockers to gear up. After donning desert combat armor and a reinforced Sierra Madre security helmet that was painted tan and had an adjustable visor, he loaded up on his equipment. Jason didn't know what kind of threats he'd be facing, but he also needed to travel light. He attached five frag grenades to his belt and sheathed a combat knife. Jason holstered his trusted sidearm that was gifted to him by Joshua Graham, A Light Shining in Darkness and pocketed ten magazines for it. He grabbed his unique marksman carbine, All-American, which he had modified so it would switch between single shot and fully automatic. As an extra touch, he added a laser sight on the side rail for improved accuracy. He loaded a dozen 30 round magazines which were loaded with armored piercing bullets into his pouches. He grabbed a medium rucksack and began loading it with food and medical supplies.

"Let's see, three days' worth of food and water, ten Stimpaks, five bags of Rad-Away, 5 bottles of Rad-X, one doctor's bag, and 1,000 bottle caps. This should be enough." Jason said as he closed the lockers and slung the bag over his shoulder. He turned to leave the room, but stopped when he saw Rex sitting by the door, obviously ready to travel with his master. Jason sighed and knelt down in front of the dog, scratching him behind the ear. "Sorry buddy, but you can't come with me this time." Rex's ears lowered and he let out a whimper. "I don't know what I'm walking into Rex. It's best you stay here, ok?" Jason said, giving the dog one final pat on the back before leaving the room. As Jason got into the elevator, Rex slowly tried to follow him. "Uh uh, nope!" Jason snapped his finger and pointed at the cybernetic canine. "Rex, stay!" He ordered firmly.

Rex whimpered loudly before sitting down, watching as the elevator closed. He laid down and waited for his master to return.

Jason knew he needed to inform Yes Man that he was leaving, but he also wanted to make sure the Legion wasn't going to launch their attack while he was away. He got off the elevator on the Penthouse floor and walked down the stairs to the gigantic screen where the AI was waiting.

"Oh, good you're awake! I was just about to send a Securitron to come get you!" Yes Man informed the Courier in his always joyous manner.

Jason frowned in response. "Why, what's going on?"

"About twenty minutes ago, Mr. House's missile defense radar system picked up something flying North of New Vegas." Yes Man's face vanished and was replaced with a map of Southern Nevada. A small dot appeared on the map and was slowly moving. "The unknown aircraft was spotted coming in from the East and continued in that direction until is was about twelve miles to the North of us. It changed its course and flew North, Northwest. I continued to monitor the aircraft until its signal suddenly vanished right here." The dot disappeared from the map. "Approximately 126 miles away." Yes Man's face reappeared on the screen.

Jason rubbed a hand against his chin in confusion. "Do you have any idea what it was?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. But! The good news is the object was traveling waaaaay too slow to be a ballistic missile. At least we can rule out a second nuclear apocalypse!" Yes Man said happily.

"What about a location? Where the aircraft was before it vanished off the radar?" Jason asked.

"Hang on one second." The screen changed repeatedly and rapidly to make it look like the AI was blinking. "If my calculations are correct. The last known location puts it at the US Air Force installation Homey Airport. Also referred to as Area 51."

"Area 51…" Jason whispered to himself. He remembered seeing a few reports about Area 51 during his time at the Big Empty. It was supposed to be one of America's most top-secret military testing facilities.

"You don't think it could be the Legion do you Jason?" Yes Man asked.

The Courier shook his head. "No, there's no way. The Legion doesn't believe in using advanced technology, especially aircraft. No this is something else. Do me a favor and continue to monitor. See if anything else comes up."

"You got it buddy!" Yes Man said as the screen changed into an image of his face with a thumb's up.

"Alright Yes Man, something important came up and I have to leave for a few days. I don't how long exactly, but I need to head out on my own and I don't want to be gone if the Legion launches their assault. Can you give me a current status on the Legion's activities?" Jason asked.

"Sure thing! I've been monitoring the Legion every 15 minutes to see if any changes have occurred. So far there aren't any signs of Legion reinforcements moving in to reoccupy the Fort. Your attack on them last week and the death of Caesar and his right hands really did a number on them." Yes Man informed the Courier.

"Good. I'm heading out. If the others ask where I'm at…just tell them I've got important Courier business to take care of." Jason said heading up the stairs.

"You can count on me Jason! You be careful and have safe travels!" Yes Man said with such optimism that no human could ever have.

As the elevator doors closed behind him, Jason shook his head before letting out a chuckle. "Oh my God, if that smiley screened motherfucker tries any harder to kiss my ass, he might actually succeed."

Once the elevator stopped on the casino floor, Jason began his trek out of the city and across the Mojave.

**Canyon Wreckage: November 30, 2281. 5:43 A.M.**

Jason's journey from Vegas to Primm went pretty smoothly, encountering only a few raiders and wasteland creatures. Upon arrival to the canyon, his path was blocked by a coyote and her pups. He drew his sidearm and fired a round in the air, quickly scaring off the dogs. Holstering his weapon, he approached the wreckage where graffiti was tagged on some of the debris. "Lonesome Road." Jason inspected more graffiti. "You can go home Courier." "Courier Six?" The one bit of graffiti that caught his attention said two words. "The Divide."

Jason had heard stories of the Divide. It was supposed to be literal hell on Earth. Regardless of what it was, he needed to make this journey. Taking a deep breath, he began making his way through the canyon wreckage to venture off to the Divide.

**Pass to Canyon Wreckage: December 2, 2281. 8:14 A.M.  
**_**(AN: It takes 3 in game days to travel between the Mojave and the Divide, but I dropped it down to 2.)**_

Traversing his way through the treacherous terrain proved to be more tedious than Jason expected. However, he had finally reached an end and was met with pretty strong gusts of wind that carried sand through the air. He put his reinforced helmet back on and lowered the visor to shield his face from the elements.

"Sonuvabitch!" He said as he made it to the end of the cavern where the wind and sand started to die down. When he reached the edge of a cliff, he couldn't believe the sight before him. Jason slowly lifted the visor and examined the destruction throughout the horizon in total disbelief. It was as if the Earth was cracked wide open and hell was unleashed. Jason squinted his eyes and saw several collapsed buildings and several others that were capsized by the massive crater that ran through the region.

"God almighty. What in the fuck happened out here?" Jason asked out loud. "Better question I need to ask myself, what the fuck am I getting into?" Taking one last look at the devastation, Jason turned and made his way over to a bunker with a sign that said "Hopeville Ballistic Defense Station." "Well, I guess it's do or die…probably gonna be die." Jason said as he entered the bunker.

About thirty minutes after Jason had entered the Divide, nine figures dressed in black army fatigues and tactical vests, arrived and stood by the cliffside, all of them examining the destruction for themselves. These figures were all wearing black face wraps to keep their identities hidden. The most identifying thing about them was the American flag, sewn into the right shoulder of their uniforms, and the black berets that had a golden emblem. The emblem of a bald eagle with the American flag in one talon and an assault rifle in the other.

The leader of the group looked to the man that had a radio. "Anything?"

The radio operator tried adjusting the settings on the radio and put the hand mike to his ear. He shook his head. "Nothing. The signal is all scrambled. I can't reach anyone."

"Shit, alright. We still have our orders. From here on out, we stay alert, and we tread carefully. Our primary focus is to shut down those silos." The leader told them. "Let's move with Pride."

"Lion's Pride!" The group responded.

**Hopeville Missile Silo Bunker: December 2, 2281. 9:52 A.M.**

"Let's go ED-E." Jason told the clone of his robotic companion. They had just made their way through the silo complex past all the Sentry Bot defenses. Throughout the complex, they had encountered several corpses of men that looked like ghouls. Only they weren't ghouls. They all looked like their skin had been ripped clean off of their flesh. Plus, they all wore salvaged armor that resembled those of NCR troopers and Legion soldiers. Upon reaching the outside, ED-E began to produce static from his speakers. "ED-E? Are you ok?" Jason asked in concern.

Finally, the static stopped and ED-E looked to Jason, but he didn't let out his usual beeping. Instead, a deep and gruff voice resonated from the eyebot speakers. _"There's your signal… faint, but there. Just like NCR – voice without fire, without strength, sick… Heard tales of you walking the Mojave. Giving the two-headed bear strength. Giving hollow men like Kimball, like Crocker, half the life Hanlon had. Now… let's test that strength. That… "conviction." Courier."_

Jason narrowed his eyes at the eyebot. The voice may have been completely monotone and unrecognizable, but he already knew who the voice belonged to. "You're the original Courier Six."

"_I was. Like you – and not like you, in all the ways that matter. Spent too many years looking for you – now, letting you come to me. Thought carrying that Chip would end you, no… you got lives in you, hard to kill. Storms, bullets… sand and wind, yet still you walk. For now."_

The words that were spoken to Jason made him feel like this original Courier Six knew him personally. "We've never spoken before. I'd remember your voice."

"_Words aren't the only way couriers meet… sometimes it's the paths we walk. But no… we've never spoken before now. You may not know my voice, but we've walked the same places. The Long 15 to Primm… that wasn't the only road you ever walked. I've been to your home, the place you kept returning to… may not be the place you were born, was the place you gave life to, same thing. People forget couriers can keep communities alive… until the day they're gone, and their breath catches in their throat."_

Jason listened and had to admit there was a lot of truth behind the man's words. Couriers can know of others simply by the places they've traveled. "So, you're the one who sent the radio message… Ulysses."

"_Not my given name, close enough. Took it from history, found it in a book. It's an Old-World name. Ulysses lived a long time ago, long before the Old-World set fire to itself. He made a mark without being myth. Had to fight during a time when his world had two flags, and had to make them one."_

The Courier instantly knew of who Ulysses was referring to. "You're honoring history, not stories. Ulysses S. Grant."

"_History. Yes. Ulysses walked a hard road. A general, like Caesar and Oliver. He was Brahmin-stubborn, gave him strength on the battlefield. He led his side to victory, turned two flags into one. That's when he lost. When the fighting was done, the sickness took hold. Lesson there, if history's to be believed. One you should heed."_

The man's wisdom astounded Jason, but he brought him here for a reason. He needed to know that reason. "You brought me here to talk. If you wanted to kill me, you'd have waited until I came for the Chip."

"_No…no, I couldn't. And I'm thinking you can't kill me either. If you did, you'd answer for it, just as I would. Let the land do the killing for you, that's one of the things you taught me. Killing is personal, so's vows, promises. Last bit's more important to me than the first."_

Jason cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Wait… so you swore not to kill me? Why?" He asked.

"_What kind of world would this be if Courier killed Courier? You've got enough distance ahead of you. Save your breath for the road, don't waste it on words."_

"Well, you did go through a lot of trouble to lure me here, so let's get on with this." Jason said with firm resolution.

"_America sleeps ahead of you, its nightmares filled with quakes, storms. You'll need to find your own path. That means waking America's spears up from their slumber. There's ways. Warheads set off the collapse, warheads could open the gates again. You're resourceful. That machine, robot with you, can help you find the warheads you need to destroy… and their trigger, the detonator. The way ahead is below. The tools are there. The rest, up to you._

Jason slowly nodded as he processed the information. "Alright. I'll find the trigger. And then I'll find you."

"_The Divide will send it's worst against you, it may break you. We'll see if you're stronger. Road gets rougher from here… Courier. Left marks for you, colors will tell the way, if you're smart. They'll lead you to your home one more time, lead to the ending of it. Maybe remind you why you wander."_

Something Ulysses said left Jason with more questions. "Wait a minute. What do you mean my home?"

Instead of getting Ulysses voice, Jason got ED-E's beeps in response. A clear indicator that the conversation with Ulysses was over. "Are you ok ED-E?" The bot beeped and floated happily in the air as a confirmation to Jason's question. "Ok… let's go find that detonator." He said as they made their way into Hopeville, keeping his rifle ready for anything.

**Inside the Bunker: December 2, 2281. 10:01 A.M.**

The group of soldiers slowly made their way through the silo complex. Not once did they encounter any enemies, just destroyed defenses and scarred corpses. They reached the office of the base commander. The emblem on the floor read "Ballistic Defense Division. Commonwealth Defense Administration."

The leader of the group looked at the Latin words in the center. "Exitus Acta Probat… the outcome justifies the deed."

One soldier carrying an M249 SAW was baffled. "That means what exactly?"

"It's another way of saying the means to an end are justified AJ. Basically, there's a justified reason for launching nuclear Armageddon." A female soldier said as she removed her face wrap, revealing the face of Captain Melissa Broadhead.

The leader of the group removed his balaclava. Lieutenant Eric Daniels. The Lone Wanderer of the Capital Wasteland and commander of Lion's Pride. Though Captain Broadhead outranked him, she was merely acting as his advisor and following his lead. "Nothing in this world would ever justify that." He said as he walked over to the desk where Melissa was staring at the corpse of a ghoul in a US Army officer's uniform. "You know who he is?"

Melissa nodded solemnly. "General Martin Retslaf. He was the commander of the Ballistic Division." She reached into the collar of the General's shirt and pullet out a pair of dog tags. "General Wells will want these."

Eric walked around the desk and spotted a 10mm pistol on the floor and an empty vodka bottle. He knelt down to pick up the bottle and sighed. "Guess he couldn't live with the guilt of having to press the button that lead to total destruction." He looked to the central computer system behind Retslaf and knew it was the primary launch computer that was linked to all the missile silos in the Divide. He turned to his expert hacker and tech wiz. "Alright Toshi, you're up."

Specialist Toshiro Sonda, aka Toshi, slung his gauss rifle over his shoulder and pulled out a weird looking knife that glowed a bright blue color. He forced the knife into the holotape port and was immediately granted full access to the computer. As he typed away on the keyboard, he asked his Lieutenant, "So what do you think happened to this place Eric?"

Eric shook his head wondering the same thing. "I don't know." He turned to Melissa. "Didn't you say this place was struck by a powerful earthquake before the bombs fell?"

Melissa nodded. "Yeah, but it wasn't strong enough to cause damage of this magnitude. It had to be something else… Reynolds," She looked to the team demo expert. "Since you used to be with the NCR, do you know what happened?" She asked the former NCR Ranger.

Sergeant Jake Reynolds took a swig of whiskey from his flask before putting it away. "I only heard the rumors. The NCR discovered this place and tried to annex it so it could be a new supply line for us. The Legion tried to take it from us, there was heavy fighting. After that no one really heard anything. A Ranger patrol was sent out and when they came back, they said there was nothing left of the place. The whole region had been destroyed. Our forces we sent here never came back."

"I think I know why." Toshi said with wide eyes as he looked to Reynolds. "When did the NCR lose contact with its troops here?"

Reynolds rubbed at his mustache as he thought about it. "Uh, 2277. Beginning of the year I think."

"Cap, LT, you might want to look at this." Toshi said as the two officers walked over to him. "According to logs, there was 120 silos throughout Hopeville and Ashton. It looks like General Retslaf managed to get 100 of them in the air on the day the bombs fell. But," He pointed at the most recent logs. "look at the dates these ones went offline."

Eric and Melissa looked at the screen and to say they were in shock was an understatement. 14 of the ICBMs that weren't launched went offline on January 12, 2277.

"Oh my God." Melissa breathed out. "They were detonated inside the silos."

Eric nodded in agreement. "It's the only explanation as to why the whole damn place looks like the gates of Hell." He looked to Reynolds. "That explains what happened to the NCR and Legion troops here."

"Not only that." Specialist Ignacio Marin, former Legionnaire now squad medic, walked into the room and handed something to Reynolds. "Found this on one of those corpses."

Reynolds inspected the item closely. It was burned and faded, but he knew what it was. "It's an NCR Ranger patch." He said with a hint of sadness.

"Not just NCR, some of the corpses are wearing what remains of Legion uniforms." Marin told them.

Eric let out a long breath. "Jesus, those that didn't die turned into those things. Christ what a way to live. I don't even know how they'd be alive after surviving nuclear blasts."

Ignacio slung his M4 over his shoulder. "It's possible they suffer from the same mutation as ghouls. Radiation could possibly be a healing factor. It's the only reason as to how they can still be alive in their current state."

Eric's medical and scientific knowledge told him the same thing. "There's nothing we can do now. Command wants us to shut down the remaining ICBMs and that's what we are going to do. Toshi do your thing."

Toshi hissed. "Uh, I can't. Access to the ICBM shutdown systems have been transferred to another station."

"Can you find out where?" Melissa asked.

After typing in a few sequences, he got a location. "Silo chamber 15. Which… is all the way on the other side of the Divide." Toshi said as he and everyone's stomachs dropped.

"Fuck." Eric grumbled. "Well, hope you're all locked, cocked, and ready to rock, because we may have a hell of a fight ahead of us. Plus, we need to find out who activated the silos and why." He said as the group left the room.

Toshi pulled his knife out of the computer and sheathed it, quickly following the others out.

**Ashton Missile Silo: December 2, 2281. 12:05 P.M.**

Jason raised his marksman carbine and fired three rounds at a marked man, hitting him in the chest. Jason walked around and looted all the ammo he could find off of the dead marked men before heading to the silo control panel. A small console popped up and ED-E used his electric charge to power up the consol. A switch to activate the silo and grant him access to the bunker popped up.

Jason reached for the switch, but hesitated for a moment. "This better not bite me in the ass." He grabbed the switch and pulled it. Jason watched in both awe and horror as the silo doors opened and the missile fired into the air.

**High Road Entrance**

"GO GO GO!" Eric ordered his guys as he and Melissa fired their M4s at a group of tunnelers. AJ used his SAW to cut down an entire pack of hulking tunnelers that tried to swarm the two officers.

"Get down!" Reynolds shouted to the others as he carried a shoulder-fired machine gun. The rest of Lion's Pride ducked as Reynolds unleashed a barrage of machine gun fire on the tunneling predators, tearing them all apart.

The group all looked around before getting back to their feet to inspect the carnage. Eric looked over to his demo expert. "What the hell is that?"

Reynolds chuckled with joy. "My new toy."

"Guys…" Private First-Class Richard Spreng, Eric's sniper shouted to them. Everyone looked to him as he pointed at the ICBM that was in the air and flying over Hopeville… right before it air-burst high in the sky.

"God in Heaven!" Marin said in complete shock and fear.

"FIND COVER! GET BACK IN THE UNDERPASS!" Eric ordered his squad frantically.

AJ took off running away from the underpass. "Fuck that! I'm taking my chances with the nuke!" He shouted as he dove for cover behind a burned-out truck.

"AJ!" Melissa shouted, moving to go get him.

"Melissa get down!" Eric said as he grabbed her and brought them both to the ground as the concussive force from the blast hit their position. The rest of Lion's Pride took cover by the burned-out vehicles and concrete medians on the overpass as debris from buildings and vehicles flew around them.

**Back at the Silo**

Jason forcefully pried the doors open into the bunker as the power of the blast reached his position. "Come on ED-E!" He shouted as the eyebot flew in to the bunker. Jason quickly followed inside and they boarded the cargo elevator that lead down deeper into the bunker.

**High Road Entrance**

As quickly as it began, the extreme winds from the concussive force of the nuclear detonation died down. Small bits of debris continued to fall to the Earth, but it wasn't enough to cause any harm. The Shadow Knights all slowly poked their heads up from their cover to see the massive mushroom cloud that was still looming over Hopeville.

Eric groaned as he held Melissa in his arms. "You ok?"

Melissa inhaled deeply and exhaled. "Depends. Did we actually just survive that?"

Eric nodded he said as he helped her off of the ground. He looked to the rest of the squad. "You guys ok?" Reynolds had a small cut across the side of his face and AJ had a light gash in his shoulder. The rest of them were ok. One of them was missing though. "Where's Myers?" Private Amanda Myers, the designated marksman and AJ's assistant gunner was nowhere in sight. "Myers!"

"Myers! Call out!" Spreng shouted.

AJ spotted a massive piece of corrugated tin with an arm sticking out underneath it. "Over here!" The squad gunner waved as he ran over to move the tin off of his squad mate. AJ rolled Amanda onto her back and saw blood running out of her right ear. "Myers, Myers! Come on wake up!" He said as he gently patted her check. Marin knelt down next to her and started checking her over for any visible injuries. "Come on Myers! Wake up!"

A couple seconds later, Myers gasped and jolted up, but AJ held her in place. "It's ok, it's ok. It's me, it's AJ."

Myers was taking quick shuddering breaths before her face showed signs of extreme pain. "Ahhh fuck!" She held her hand against her head. "Oh, what the fuck happened?" She asked, still slightly dazed.

Eric knelt down in front of her. "Are you alright Myers?"

Amanda blinked a couple more times until her vision wasn't blurry anymore. She slowly nodded. "Minus the worst hangover feeling I've ever had in my life, I'm fucking fantastic… My right ear is slightly ringing though." She said pointing at the blood that went down the side of her head.

Marin leaned in next to the ear. "Can you hear anything I'm saying?"

Amanda raised her hand and did the so-so gesture. "Little bit, sounds kinda muffled."

Marin looked to Eric. "She may have a busted eardrum. There's a clinic just outside of Vegas. The doctor there is very experienced and may have the equipment to help."

Eric nodded at the idea. "We'll get her there as soon as we've finished up here. Right now, we need to get to silo 15 and shut down the remainder of those nukes. My question is, who the fuck just launched that one?" He asked while looking at the still present mushroom cloud.

"Eric, over here." Melissa said as she knelt down next to the corpse of a marked man. Eric walked over to her as she dabbed a finger into the blood on the ground. "Blood's real fresh. Can't have been dead for more than an hour. And…" She picked up a spent shell casing. ".45 Caliber. None of these guys have any weapons that fire it and you haven't pulled your sidearm so that only means one thing."

"We aren't the only ones here." Eric concluded for her. "Whoever they are. They may have the answers we need. Starting with the fucking ICBM launch." He looked to his squad. "AJ, Spreng, Reynolds, Marin, Myers. You guys find a way to gain some high ground and scout ahead. Let us know if you spot anything and try to clear the way of any obstacles. The rest of you are with me."

**Sunstone Tower Roof: December 2, 2281. 6:13: P.M.**

"_Hopeville, High Road, Ashton… tiny cracks in the Earth, nothing compared to the road carved ahead." _Ulysses said through ED-E's speakers. Though his voice was monotone, Jason could detect a slight hint of anger. _"Before you… this is the edge of the Divide. Ahead lies your work, the history you burned in the Earth. What you brought to the people here."_

Jason was immediately perplexed. "What are you talking about? What happened here?"

"_You delivered a package. Had markings that matched those in the Divide. Not all… but enough. Military markings, from some place the Bear had savaged in the West. Maybe seeing those markings on it reminded you of home… made you carry it."_

Jason quickly scrambled though his memory to remember the package Ulysses was talking about. Nothing came to him though. "This package. I don't ever remember delivering something like that."

"_It was from West. From deep in NCR. Whether made by them or not… it came here. Through your hands. It was a device, a detonator. One I'd never seen before, or heard before. You carried that thing to the Divide. I know because I followed you as you walked the road, watched you do it. You brought it here, to the community you built. And you are responsible for what happened after. When the device opened, started to speak."_ Ulysses informed the Courier. His anger becoming more evident. _"When it did, the Divide answered back. Those missiles you've seen, buried in their silos. They exploded beneath the ground, cracked the landscape. Sand, ash… the dead… the Divide skies became a graveyard."_

Jason's heart was slowly dropping further and further into his stomach. Ulysses was telling him that his actions caused the destruction of the Divide. There's no way. Jason refused to believe it. "If what you say is true, how did you survive?"

"_Should've died here. The machines here… saved me. I was the only survivor, or thought I was. Your package, the message inside, awoke medical machines… close to the one that shadows you… began to build themselves, then others. Maybe they saw the flag on my jacket, thought I was of America. If so, history saved me. A sign."_

"So, this revenge for nearly killing you then." Jason surmised.

"_Not the name I'd give it. Not the name the dead would give it. Revenge isn't the message I have for you. More than that… Courier."_

Jason shook his head in denial. "I'm not responsible for this, there's no way I could have known!"

"_If you had been there when it happened. If you had seen the Divide break, you would know it. You carry death wherever you go – if the Mojave doesn't know it yet, it will. What happened here… can happen again. You've already proved it, what you did in Ashton. The silo there._

"I had no idea the silo was active until the missile was in the air toward Hopeville." Jason exclaimed defensively.

"_Didn't stop you though. Like carrying the Chip to Vegas. Old World death in your hand."_

"What happened here was an accident. Any anger you have, you need to let go." Jason said.

"_Accident? Ignorance is a choice. The Chip. A choice. As for anger… it is what I carry for the dead, and all that come here."_

"You think I'm responsible for this. My question is what your tie to this place is." Jason said wanting to know why this man was so adamant about the fate of the Divide.

"_The community that was once here… and the package you brought… both had markings of the Divide. Markings of America. You've seen the marks, the symbol. As early as the Hopeville silo, maybe. Carried it etched on your weapons." _Ulysses said referring to the Red Glare rocket launcher on Jason's back. _"The Divide, its buildings, its people, were built around those same markings, surrounded them here… Markings like the flag on my back. When I followed your road to the Divide those years ago, I saw the symbol I wore all around me. An Old World symbol. Strong, to survive here. Its people strong. Outlast the Bear, outlast the Bull. Promise of something better. Caesar was right to want it dead. NCR was right to want to rake their claws in it."_

"_Seeing it… changed me, just as seeing Hoover Dam changed Caesar and the NCR."_

Jason finally began to understand why Ulysses was so attached to this place. "You believed in this place. What it once was."

"_There was hope here, another chance. A new nation, stirring to life. A place I could have set my flag. Not the America of old. But something larger than the tribes of the East, something larger than the houses of the West. Something better. The Divide… could have bridged both, like Hoover Dam. Now like the Dam, it's too covered in blood to see what it could have been. You gave life to this place. I followed your road here, saw the Divide. You led me here, so that I could see. Then you brought it to an end."_

"And that's why you want me dead." Jason said.

"_My history isn't revenge, or hate. The road that brought us both here – isn't about that. It's about the message you carried. The one in that package, whether you knew it or not. The message that one can kill a nation. Can kill a symbol. And all that gather beneath its flag. I don't blame you for the Divide. I blame you for what you made me see. Now you will see what you brought to the Mojave, and that will be my message to you."_

Jason creased his brows at that. "What message?"

"_Killing one will end both. And you made me see how one could do it. Your ignorance, carelessness, can be used with a purpose."_

Jason sighed. Knowing he wasn't going to get any more from this conversation, he decided to end it. "You wanted me to come to the Divide. I'm here. Now what?"

"_The way ahead and below – leads to the heart of the Divide. There… you and I, we'll have an ending to things."_

**Edge of the Divide Cracks: December 2, 2281. 10:13 P.M.**

Inside a burned skyscraper that still stood tall on the edge of the Divide, Spreng and Myers was looking down into the chasms bellow where many collapsed structures and debris lied. They were providing overwatch while Marin and AJ were getting some rest and Reynolds stood guard. They would swap out shifts at the end of the hour.

The climb up to the edge proved almost impossible. They had encountered several enemies and had to dodge a building that fell into the canyon below.

Spreng was surveying the surroundings below. Taking out any marked men that entered his M110 crosshairs. His suppressor did good work of keeping the scarred men and tunnelers from locating them.

Myers used the scope on her SR-25 to mark any areas that may prove treacherous to the rest of the squad. She spotted something in her crosshairs. It was a man, wearing a breathing mask and wasn't skinned like the others they had come across. He was standing outside of a bunker entrance. Next to the entrance was a sign that read 'Silo 15.'

Myers tapped Spreng on the shoulder and pointed in the direction of the bunker. "Right there to my ten-o clock. Further up the canyon walls. See it? See him?"

Spreng aimed his sights to where Myers was directing him. "I got him." He pulled out his radio. "LT can you hear me?"

The radio was filled with static, but Eric was heard through it. _"What have you got Spreng?"_

"I've got the location of silo 15. We've also got eyes on someone standing outside of the entrance." The sniper informed his Lieutenant.

"_Under-[static]…We've spotted some-[static]… They've got an eyebo-[static]… They're heading to s-[static] 15. How copy over?"_

"LT you're coming in broken and barely readable. Did you say there's someone else going to the silo?" Spreng asked.

"_Affirm-[static]…Do not engage if you sp-[static]…" _The signal was immediately cut off.

"Shit." Spreng said as he put the radio back. "You catch that?" He asked Myers.

"Sounded like he said don't engage if we spot whoever they saw." Myers surmised. "Our mystery man just went back in the silo." She informed her fellow sharpshooter.

Spreng resumed looking throughout the canyon until he spotted someone coming out of rooftop of a destroyed hotel. "Rooftop down below. Giant sign that says Boxwood Hotel."

Myers aimed her rifle and spotted a man with an eyebot. "That must be the guy the LT saw."

"Keep your eyes on the silo. I got my eyes on him." Spreng told her as he watched the man talk to the eyebot.

**Boxwood Hotel Roof: December 2, 2281. 10:24 P.M.**

"_Thought that explosion, that building falling deep in the Divide might have been your work… wouldn't kill you, maybe close. Knew you'd survive… but no need to go any farther. You've brought me what I need. That machine with you, sealed in the Hopeville silo." _Ulysses informed Jason.

Jason frowned at the man's voice that echoed from the eyebot. "What do you need ED-E for?"

"_You gave it a name?" _Ulysses asked in disbelief. _"What was it to you? Companion? Slave… weapon? All of that, nothing compared to its primary function. It's a messenger. Like us… and it shares our history. That's why I knew you'd come, Courier. Couldn't stay away, it's who you are."_

Jason's suddenly grew angry at Ulysses. "You're not taking ED-E from me Ulysses."

"_The machine you brought is mine now, it's coming home. It carries the message you brought here… and it'll do what it was programmed to do; whatever it can to get home. The giants here will listen to it. I'll bring the Divide to your home, your nation. Let its flag burn, just like you let the Divide burn… Big Mountain access code… Ulysses. Command override… Navarro."_

Jason took a step back before being violently electrocuted by ED-E's zapper, causing him to let out a scream of agony. Jason fell to the ground and continued to twitch from the electricity that jolted through his body. He watched as ED-E flew off to where Ulysses was hiding.

As soon as the electric shock wore off, Jason took a few moments to regain his strength. Picking himself and his rifle up off of the ground, Jason had fire in his eyes. "I'm coming for you Ulysses." He said as he made his way off the building roof to the ground below. He spotted a group of deathclaws lying lifeless on the ground. Each one of them had a single shot through the head. He didn't have time to figure out what happened to them. Jason was more focused on getting ED-E back and stopping Ulysses. He quickly navigated his way through the terrain, using the collapsed building as a bridge. Any and all marked men that stood in his way were cut down like wooden boards in a sawmill.

Back on the rooftop of the hotel, Eric and his squad burst through the door to escape the tunnelers inside the building. Melissa primed two frag grenades and tossed them down the stairs before Eric slammed the door shut. The resulting explosion killed at least a dozen of the underground creatures and blew off the limbs of several others. This caused the surviving tunnelers to retreat back deeper into the building.

The group took a second to catch their breaths before Eric pulled out his radio. "Spreng we're on the rooftop. Can you see us?"

"_I got you LT. The entrance to silo 15 is to your three-o clock. Your mystery guest just cleared a path for you guys all the way up there."_

Eric used the ACOG scope on his rifle to locate the bunker. "I see it." He lowered his rifle and looked up just in time to see three of the remaining five ICBMs sticking out of their silos at the top of the cliff. "Guys we gotta move!" Eric said as Melissa, Toshi, and Eric's radio operator, Staff Sergeant Carter Weston, quickly moved to reach the silo.

**Ulysses' Temple: December 2, 2281. 11:00 P.M.**

Jason quickly punched in the sequences needed to free ED-E from his tube. As soon as the doors opened, ED-E booted back up to life and let out an elated series of beeps.

Jason sighed with relief. "You ok buddy?" ED-E responded happily. "Alright. We need to stop Ulysses." ED-E shook with determination, flying over to a Commissary terminal and activating it for the Courier.

The Courier quickly accessed it and drew as much 5.56 ammo along with six grenades and a dozen Stimpaks. Loading a fresh mag into his marksman carbine, he and ED-E made their way further into Ulysses Temple. When they entered the silo chamber. They saw Ulysses standing by one of the ICBMs. The room was filled with more missiles that were all ready to fire. In front of Ulysses was a tattered American flag, hung up proudly. The symbol of the Old World, the same symbol on the back of Ulysses' duster.

When Jason got closer, Ulysses turned around and walked down the steps until at last… the two Couriers finally met, face-to-face. Jason saw that Ulysses was a strong African-American man with dreadlocks and wearing a breathing mask to conceal most of his face. Floating behind him were three eyebots similar to ED-E

"Even in this place, NCR's shadow falls. Or is it just you, Courier, without the Bear's corpse to weigh you down. Judging by your shadow… maybe you can't let your machine go. Doesn't matter now." Ulysses said as he folded his arms. "Either way, the Divide giants are awakening. The missiles here, on their way home. There is no way to stop them."

Jason could've killed Ulysses right here, but for some reason… he didn't want to. Ulysses was a former Legion Frumentarii that stopped believing the words and the will of Caesar, because he believed in something greater. A nation that could prosper and be stronger than that of the NCR and the Legion. Jason shared the same beliefs as Ulysses. As a former NCR soldier, he had opened his eyes and stopped seeing his nation for what it was. Instead, he saw it for what it is. Everything Ulysses said about the NCR is true, and eventually it would lose its structure and die out.

Slowly, Jason set his rifle on the ground and looked the fellow Courier in the eyes. "Ulysses. I understand why you're angry. And I don't blame you. What happened here at the Divide. I accept what I have done and I take full responsibility. I am truly sorry for I have done here. You have to believe me when I say I never meant for this to happen. But what you're doing, it's madness!" Jason said, hoping to reason with the man and talking him out of starting another nuclear apocalypse.

Ulysses unfolded his arms and gestured to the Courier. "No, now there is purpose. I believe you when you say you were… careless. The Divide… the Chip… the machine you brought here… Many messages can be taken from that, intended or not. What I do now is an act of conviction."

Jason let out a small huff, but he wasn't going to give up until neither of them had nothing left to say. "If you blame me for the Divide, then let me answer for it, not others."

Ulysses let out a light chuckle. "Blame you? No, learned from you. Both the weapon to kill a nation, and the strength to do it. You showed me a road, a way to carry my message. You've already answered for what you've done. Now the flag you follow will answer for it." Ulysses crossed his arms again. "You walked the West, didn't stay. You know the reason… the Bear grows without structure, follows a symbol without knowing its history. And knowing that you believe in the Bear's sickness and have given it strength… then that gives more reason to lay waste to your homeland. After this, only one flag will remain over the Mojave. Let that one fly, or destroy itself."

The next question Jason asked caught Ulysses off guard. "Even if I don't consider the NCR my homeland anymore?"

Ulysses narrowed his eyes slightly and unfolded his arms. "Yet you give strength to the Bear."

Jason shook his head. "I give strength to the soldiers in the Mojave. Not the NCR itself. I give them strength not to benefit men like Oliver or Kimball, I give them the strength to survive against the Legion. I don't do it so they can eventually take over the Mojave. I do it so that they may eventually return home. Yes, I have done a lot for the NCR, but…" Jason pointed at Ulysses for emphasis. "you must have seen a lot of the things I've done for the people of the Mojave. Westside, Freeside, Primm? I made sure Primm remained independent from the NCR. I made sure Westside had a steady water supply, even if it meant dooming the NCR farms in the Mojave. My actions have proven that I'm not only fighting for the frontline soldiers of the NCR, but for the people of the Mojave."

A brief indication of disbelief overcame Ulysses for a second. "Your actions have carried strength. Even though you don't stand for the two-headed Bear, you still speak for it. I'll hear your words. Even if I will be the only one to hear them. If you believe it should not die this day… then answer me why." He said as he put his hands on his hips.

"One can build a community, make it stronger. You saw it in the Divide, even blamed me for it." Jason said as Ulysses processed his words.

"History has proven this. Our history. And you think that you have this strength? Enough for all of NCR?" Ulysses asked.

Jason shook his head. "No. Not for the NCR. For something greater. Something the NCR will hopefully learn from, or end up falling apart trying."

Ulysses immediately knew what Jason was referring to. "The Mojave."

Jason nodded in affirmation. "Without Vegas or Hoover Dam, the NCR will have nothing to gain, and hopefully they'll learn to become what it once tried to be. If not then it will be their own downfall. While the Mojave will become its own place, a nation that neither the NCR nor the Legion could ever be. I believe the same things you believe. That one person can make… or break… a nation."

Ulysses saw the conviction and reasoning behind the Couriers words. "It may be… that as much destruction has been written in the Earth here… you may build something else, as you built in the Divide."

**Eyebot Containment Room**

Toshi finished hacking into the Commissary terminal and had a gleeful smile. "Oh my God I'm such a cheater." He said as Eric looked over all the items on the screen. Somehow, Toshi managed to drop the price of every item down to one cap.

Eric shook his head in amazement. "Toshi, you're getting promoted when we get back." He said as he withdrew enough ammo for both his and Melissa's M4s and a couple Stimpaks.

"_LT are you there?" _ Spreng asked frantically through the radio.

Eric quickly replied. "What's wrong Spreng?"

"_Several hostiles are amassing outside of the bunker entrance! They're about to breach!" _Spreng warned.

"How many?" Eric said as he and the others readied their weapons.

"_Too many!"_

Eric looked to the others. "Stick to the shadows!"

The group ran into the containment room and sealed both doors leading inside. Carter and Toshi hid underneath the table next to the window that could peer into the room while Melissa and Eric hid behind the eyebot containment pods. The Shadow Knights all pulled out a stealth boy and quickly turned invisible. Seconds later, dozens upon dozens of marked men sprinted past the room. None of them bothering to look inside.

Eric cautiously glanced at the window. At least a hundred of the skinless bastards had to be inside and more were continuing to pour in. He pulled out his radio. "Spreng, listen to me." He whispered. "Get Reynolds to seal the bunker entrance. He's got the green light to use his nuka missiles."

"_You guys will be trapped if he does."_

"We'll find another way out. Just do it. Once the entrance is sealed, lay siege to these sonsabitches."

**Edge of the Divide Cracks**

Reynolds aimed his missile launcher at the entrance to silo 15. It was loaded with a nuka missile. Created from the same concept as the nuka grenades that Eric had shown him. "Back blast area clear?"

"Clear." Myers confirmed for the Sergeant.

"Firing." Reynolds said as the nuka missile soared from the launcher, across the canyon and into the marked men at the entrance of the silo. The explosion incinerated several of the scarred men and sent several more flying over the ledge to plummet to their death. The explosion also delivered the requested result as chunks of massive rocks from the cliff collapsed down, blocking the marked men from entering the silo. Reynolds loaded a second Nuka missile and fired it at the collapsed building that bridged the two gaps that led up to the silo. The explosion killed at least 30 more marked men while the building collapsed down on the ones beneath it.

Myers and Spreng quickly went to work at picking off those that were still standing.

**Silo Chamber**

Ulysses crossed his arms again. "You have spoken truly. There is a shadow of a nation behind you, the hope of a people… yet it may not matter. The Divide still stands against us."

Jason whipped his head around when a loud bang was heard near the entrance he had come from. "What was that?"

Ulysses unfolded his arms and drew a 12.7mm sub-machine gun. "Our enemies gather outside… shadows of the Bear and Bull… they will have found their way in, just as you did. It was always my intention. In case I could not kill you, the marked men would flood this place, cut off your escape. If we cannot prevent what comes, then let us make our stand. Two Couriers, together, at the Divide."

Jason picked up All-American and readied it for combat. "We'll give them a fight the Divide couldn't. Now tell me, is there a way we can stop the missiles entirely?"

Before Ulysses could reply, ED-E started playing another one of Dr. Whitley's recordings. _"Experiment log 369248/A. Eyebot Duraframe universal interface override system. This is Dr. Whitley presiding. Initial tests of the override system are promising. Against unsecured or lightly-encrypted targets, the Eyebots have a 98% success rate. More heavily protected systems are still problematic. Military-grade encryption presents a very real possibility of critical overload of key systems. We've stopped tests before any robots were destroyed, but if we don't address the problem our Eyebots will fry themselves hacking military networks."_

Jason couldn't believe what ED-E was suggesting. "ED-E… if you do this. The encryption will kill you."

ED-E replied with sad beeping before his tones changed into more determined beeps.

Jason nodded sadly. "Ok buddy. If you're sure about this. Do it."

During the exchange between the Courier and Eyebot, Ulysses had run towards the entrance and started setting up plasma mines, hoping they would take down many of the marked men. He ran back over to Jason and handed him a stealth boy. "We will let them walk into death's hands before delivering it ourselves. You understand it will take some time for the machine to stop all five missiles?"

Jason attached the stealth boy to his wrist. "Whatever it takes, right?"

While ED-E was working to stop the missile launches, the two Couriers activated their stealth boys and moved to find cover. Ulysses hid behind a couple crates closest to the entrance while Jason hid at the far end. He aimed down his rifle at the entrance and waited as the marked men finally broke through the door. Several marked men were instantly liquified by the plasma mine set up by the door. That didn't stop the rest, however. As dozens of marked men spilled into the room, they kept getting blown apart and turned in to liquid by the mines until the traps were all used up. Ulysses poked around his cover and fired a burst of rounds into three marked men that killed them instantly. Jason was firing one round at a time, nailing most on the marked men in the head. The Divide warriors began to spread out in an effort to try and flank the two enemies. Ulysses tossed a frag grenade at the entrance and took off for Jason's position as his Eyebots drew the fire of the marked men. The grenade exploded and killed at least six marked men hunters.

As Jason loaded a new magazine into his rifle, something was screaming in the back of his head to move. He dodged to the side as a marked men ravager deactivated its stealth boy and swung a Blade of the West. Jason got back to his feet as the ravager tried to swing his blade again. Jason ducked down and grabbed the marked man by the arm to prevent him from attacking again. The Courier pulled his sidearm out and shot the skinless foe in the side of the head, quickly ending its life.

Coming up from behind him was another ravager armed with a thermic lance. Before he could attack, Ulysses used his flag pole "Old Glory" and slammed it against the man's head. The ravager was knocked to the ground and Ulysses knelt down, wrapping an arm around its neck and twisting it violently. With the man's neck broken Ulysses pulled his SMG out and loaded a new magazine, firing on more opponents that tried to swarm the silo chamber.

**Eyebot Containment Room**

Eric and his group readied their weapons and opened the doors killing several marked men that stood in their way. Melissa unsheathed a throwing knife and tossed it at a hunter, nailing it in the neck. A ravager charged at the Shadow Knight and swung a sledgehammer in an effort to take her head off. Melissa quickly fell back on the floor as the hammer narrowly missed her by a few inches. The female Captain followed up by performing a kip-up, landing back on her feet as she drew a combat knife and began to repeatedly stab the ravager in the stomach. Melissa finished the skinless opponent by stabbing it between the eyes.

Carter slammed the butt of his rifle into the back of the head of one hunter before firing on three more. Toshi fired an energy burst from his gauss rifle, nailing a marauder in the head and knocking it off its shoulders.

Eric took out the remainder of the marked men that managed to make it inside before the entrance to the silo was sealed. He looked to his squad. "Let's go!"

**Silo Chamber**

As the two Couriers battled the Divide, ED-E had managed to stop three of the missiles from being launched, but began to feel its circuits starting to fry. ED-E wasn't about to quit though. ED-E shut down a fourth missile and was about to begin on the final one until… a massive hole had exploded where the Eyebot's speaker was. Towards the entrance was a marked man scout, armed with an anti-material rifle. The Eyebot continued to hover for a few seconds before it fell to the floor with a loud clank.

Jason witnessed ED-E's destruction and shot the marked man in the head before running over to his now destroyed companion. "ED-E…" The Courier whispered in sadness. He looked to the control panel and saw the fifth missile was still armed and ready to launch. "Shit." He turned to Ulysses who was still holding off a group of marked men hunters. "The last missile is still active!" Jason shouted.

A marked man marauder, armed with a Red Glare rocket launcher howled at the Courier and fired rocket after rocket at him. Jason tried running for cover, but one of the red rockets landed less than three feet away. The explosion sent him flying towards the missile in the center of the room and left him with a massive wound that ran from his stomach down his right hip. The Courier was bleeding profusely from his wound and he was letting out long ragged breaths. His Monocyte Breeder implant was already going to work at healing him and fixing his wounds. Unfortunately, the wounds were so severe that it would take a lot of time until they were fully healed.

Ulysses ran over and grabbed Jason by his collar, dragging him over to the launch console as he continued to fire at the marked men with one hand. At the console, Ulysses finished off the remaining marked men and started punching a series of buttons before more showed up. He reached for the switch.

"What (Gasp) are you (Gasp) doing?" Jason asked as blood spilled from his mouth.

"You have spoken for the Bear. It shall not die this day. As for the Bull… the will of Caesar is nothing to me, but hollow words. I intend to repay the Legion for the death they have brought to Dry Wells. For the history that Vulpes destroyed." Ulysses said as he pulled the switch.

"No." Jason gasped as the ICBM flew from the silo.

Several more marked men appeared into the chamber and Ulysses ran from the Courier. He fired on the marked men to draw their attention away from his injured counterpart. One marked men hunter fired a marksman carbine at the former Frumentarii, hitting him once in the shoulder and a second time beneath the left side of his ribs. Ulysses staggered back, falling over the railing of the catwalk onto the platform below.

Jason's vision started to go blurry. There was still a dozen marked men alive and they were all moving towards him. He started to think this was it. He was going to die in this ungodly hell. As his vision dimmed, he saw a bright blue burst of energy hit one of the marked men in the back, ending its life. The marked men all turned around and were met with a storm of bullets that tore them all apart, one by one. As the marked men fell, Jason saw four figures dressed in black slowly approach. His vision finally went dark and he lost consciousness.

Eric knelt down next to the unconscious man and put a hand against his neck to see if he still had a pulse. It was weak but it was there. Melissa unslung her bag and pulled her med kit out. Using her medical training as a firefighter, she quickly applied gauze and medical wraps to Jason's stomach. Carter went through the room making sure all of the marked men were dead.

Toshi walked over to the console and quickly went to work. He saw that the remaining missiles had already aborted their launch, but the fifth one was in the air. "LT, I got one missile inbound for Arizona. A place called Dry Wells."

"Can you stop it?" Eric asked.

Toshi looked at the control panel which had been mostly ripped apart by gunfire. He shook his head. "Negative, there's no way to abort the launch."

Eric cursed as the group heard someone walking up the catwalk across from them. They aimed their weapons as they saw an injured man who still had his skin. He was clutching onto the wound on his side as blood spilled from the one on his shoulder.

"Who are you?" Eric asked, keeping his weapon trained on the man.

Ulysses dropped his SMG and looked at the man. "I'm the one who launched the missile."

"Why?" Eric demanded.

"So that the Bull may understand the true meaning of suffering. The same way they have made others suffer." Ulysses said.

"What do you want me to do with him LT?" Carter asked, as he kept his M4 aimed at the man's head.

Eric thought about it for a few seconds before lowering his rifle. "Stand down." The others lowered their weapons. "You got a name?"

"Ulysses." He answered. That's when he saw the American flag on their shoulders. "You bear the symbol of the Old World?" Eric and the others frowned in confusion before looking at the flag on their shoulders. "It is the same symbol I wear on my back."

Carter took a few steps to the side to see the back of Ulysses' duster. His eyebrows shot up. "He's got the American flag."

"Why do you cling onto it?" Eric asked.

"In hopes of finding a nation that is worthy of planting it." Ulysses answered.

Eric looked at Ulysses for a few seconds before turning to Melissa. "He going to make it?"

Melissa looked at Jason's Pip-Boy. "Yeah. He's got a couple healing implants. It's going to take some time for them to work their magic though." She said as she pulled a foldable stretcher from her pack. Melissa and Toshi helped lift Jason onto it and strapped him down securely.

Eric looked back to Ulysses. "Who is he?"

"He is the Courier. Jason Bowers." Ulysses answered Eric.

Eric cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Courier?" Before Ulysses could answer, explosions started to rock the silo chamber. "Fuck, we'll have to finish this later. Is there another way out of here? The main entrance is blocked off."

Ulysses nodded. "There is another. It leads back to Hopeville. Follow close." He said as he walked towards the end of the silo chamber.

Carter and Toshi helped carry Jason out as Melissa and Eric followed behind Ulysses.

Eric pulled out his radio. "Spreng come in."

"_LT? Were you able to stop the missile?"_

"No there's no way to stop it. Listen to me. Head back to the cliffside by the Hopeville Silo Bunker. We'll link up with you there!" Eric instructed his men.

"_We're on the move LT." _Spreng replied.

**Pass to Canyon Wreckage: December 3, 2281. 4:03 A.M.**

Eric and the rest of his squad reunited by the cliffside after making their way back through the Divide. Ulysses stood by the group and looked down upon the Divide. The one place he called home.

He turned to Eric, who ordered his men to bed down for a few hours, telling them that he'd take first watch. As the others found a spot to set up their sleeping bags, Marin went to work on checking Jason's wounds and changing the bandages. "I have questions for you."

Eric walked over and stood beside Ulysses. "Well that's something you and I have in common. Hopefully you can answer mine if I answer yours."

"If I have answers, I will provide them." Ulysses said.

Eric smirked. "What do you want to know?"

"You bear the Old-World flag on your shoulder. Why?" Ulysses asked.

Eric looked out at the Divide. "My companions and I serve a nation that was created by the remnants of the U.S. Military. Thousands of soldiers placed in cryogenic stasis, waiting to be released so that they could rebuild what they once stood for."

"Cryogenics. Saw stuff like that at Big Mountain." Ulysses told Eric.

"Then you know what I'm taking about?" Ulysses nodded in reply. "Good. At least I don't have to explain in detail. I serve under their military. Act as an advisor to their Generals. We've started creating a nation with the help of the Midwestern and Texas Brotherhood."

"The Brotherhood?" Ulysses asked skeptically. "The organization that only cares about the technology of the Old World, not the symbolism or strength behind it."

"The Midwest and Texas are different. They abandoned those beliefs long ago. They're more focused on creating a place that people can live happily and call home. Same as us." Eric said, defending his Brotherhood allies.

"Home." Ulysses said as he looked back at Divide. "A place worthy of the flag that you and I bear. Tell me. What brought you here?"

Eric took a deep breath. "We arrived in the Mojave a few days ago when we got word from our HQ that they detected the missile systems here being activated. We were ordered to stop them from launching… oh boy, I'm going to have a hell of a time explaining this." The Lieutenant said dreading the next radio call when they could finally get communications again.

"What business do you have in the Mojave?" Ulysses asked.

Eric rubbed tiredly at his chin. "We were sent to the Mojave in hopes of allowing the NCR to join our alliance."

Ulysses scoffed. "NCR. The words of the Bear are just as hollow as the will of Caesar. Cancerous."

Eric nodded in agreement. "I'm aware, my demo expert Reynolds," He said gesturing to his snoring Shadow Knight. "he was an NCR Ranger. He believes the same thing as you."

"Then why would your nation want to ally themselves with one that hardly has structure?"

"They hope the NCR would be reasonable to accept." Eric answered.

Ulysses snorted at that. "Hope? The two-headed Bear does not care about the beliefs that your nation has. They only care about what they can take. NCR may accept, but if they do, their hollow ways will affect your nation and the two Brotherhoods. The Bear will end up being your downfall when they collapse. If you want an ally worthy of being apart of this faction of yours," Ulysses pointed at the still unconscious Jason. "the Courier is your best choice."

Eric frowned. "Why him?"

"Because he has plans for the Mojave. Plans that do not include the malignant ways of the Bear, or the Bull. He will shape the Mojave into something that neither will ever be." Ulysses explained.

"How can a simple courier like him turn the Mojave into a thriving nation like that of ours?" Eric asked.

The question gained a chuckle from Ulysses. "You are new to the Mojave. When we return, listen to others that speak of him. Listen to the radio of Vegas. That is how you will truly receive an answer to your question." Eric nodded slowly at the response he got. "I have nothing else to ask. What answers do you seek?"

"Out of all the places in Legion territory, why did you launch the missile at Dry Wells?" Eric asked.

"It was where my tribe was brought. Before being cut down by the Legion and erased from history. It served the Legion as a place for reinforcements and supplies before heading to the Fort to fight the NCR. Now, it serves as nothing but a crater to the Bull."

"What about the slaves there?" Eric asked, knowing innocent people had to have died.

Ulysses let out a breath through his mask. "The only slaves there, were the ones that were crucified for everyone to see. As a reminder of what Caesar's will is for those who stand against him."

"How many Legion soldiers were at Dry Wells?"

"Thousands." Ulysses replied.

Eric's eyes widened at that, but decided not to say more on the matter. The Legion had slaughtered tens of thousands of innocent people over the years. They deserved a little payback. He sighed. "If what you say is true… then me and my guys have some work ahead of us. Which will include spying on the NCR."

"Believe me when I say you have a better chance finding an ally with the Courier instead of the Bear." Ulysses assured.

Eric nodded. "Plus, after dealing with those fucking tunnel creatures. I'm ready to get away from this place."

Ulysses looked to Eric. "This isn't the last you've seen of them."

Eric turned to the former Frumentarii. "What do you mean?"

"As I told the Courier, the tunnelers will eventually spread out from the Divide. May take years, maybe less, maybe longer, but they will eventually reach the Mojave." Ulysses explained.

Eric's eyes widened in alarm. "Then we need to stop them."

"You know of a way?" Ulysses asked.

Eric nodded. "Yeah. A very effective way that's going to take some persuading to do it." He looked at the wounds on Ulysses. "Have Marin take a look at your wounds. After that get some sleep. We leave at noon."

Ulysses hesitated for a second then nodded. The Shadow Knight Medic treated the man's injuries while Eric stood watch, multiple plans forming in his head.

**Canyon Passage: December 5, 2281. 12:43 P.M.**

The journey back to the Mojave had proven to be a little more difficult as they had to carry a still unconscious Courier on the stretcher. His injuries were almost finished healing. When they reached the canyon passage, Melissa fired at group of coyotes, scaring them away. Eric and AJ set Jason down and removed him from the stretcher, placing him against the entrance to the passage.

Eric looked at Jason's Pip Boy which had a distress beacon added into it. Even his Pip Boy didn't have that so Jason must have installed his. Eric activated the beacon and looked to Ulysses. "You sure you don't want us to stick around?"

Ulysses nodded and set a duffle bag down next to Jason. "You have more important plans ahead of you. Go. I will stay until someone comes for the Courier."

Eric nodded. "What will you do after?"

Ulysses was quiet for a few seconds before replying. "I will be around."

The group of Shadow Knights left while Ulysses remained by Jason's side. Waiting, watching.

**2 Hours Later**

Jason slowly stirred before opening his eyes. He quickly stood up and looked around trying to figure out where he was. There was no one else there. It took a few moments to realize he was back in the Mojave, by the passage that lead to the Divide. "How did I get back here?" He asked himself.

He saw a duffle bag next to the wreckage and opened it. Inside the bag was a holotape from Ulysses. He inserted it into his Pip Boy and listened to the message that the other Courier left behind, the meaning behind it. Jason pulled a duster out of the bag which had a black spade and yellow 21 on it. Inside the bag was also a set of elite riot gear in prestigious condition.

"Jason!" A voice shouted.

Jason turned around and saw Boone and his companions running to him. Rex sprint at Jason and tackled him to the ground. The cybernetic K9 licked at his master's face, happy to see him again. The Courier chuckled as he gently pushed the dog off of him. "Ok buddy I'm happy to see you too." He said petting the dog.

Boone, dressed in his 1st Recon survival armor put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked in concern that the others had as well.

Jason nodded. "Yeah. How'd you guys find me?"

"Yes Man detected your distress beacon going off. We came here as soon as he told us." Arcade told Jason.

The Courier frowned and looked at his Pip Boy. "I never activated it. I don't know how I got back here."

"Speaking of which." Cass walked up and slugged Jason in the arm… hard. "Where the hell did you go?"

Jason rubbed the sore spot on his arm. "Nice to see you too sweetheart." He said, knowing full and well it would piss her off.

Cass snorted like a raging brahmin ready to strike again. Veronica stepped in between the two. "Hey play nice!" She said keeping her power fist against Cass. "Jason why did you leave?"

"You've been gone for five days amigo. The last time you vanished was the Big Empty. We thought for a second they kidnapped you again." Raul said as he dusted off the hat to his Vaquero outfit.

Jason rubbed a tired hand against his face. "Let's just get back to the Lucky 38 and I'll explain everything."

"Including the nuke that went off in the Legion?" Boone asked.

Jason's face hardened at the mention of the nuclear missile. "Yeah."

**H&H Tools Factory: December 5, 2281. 3:08 P.M.**

Specialist Tanner Williams, the reconnaissance operator of Lion's Pride wasn't happy when he saw the rest of his squad. He had been ordered to stay back and gather intel while the others went to shut down the silos in the Divide. "When you guys said you wouldn't be that long, that didn't mean be gone for five days without reporting back."

The group set their bags down against the wall. "We didn't expect to be walking into hell on fucking earth Williams. Carter with me." Eric said as he and his radio operator walked outside. Carter pulled the little satellite from his radio and pointed it at the sky. Eric put the hand mike to his ear. "Shadow Command this is Shadow Scout come in over."

A few seconds went by before they got a response. It was General Mike Foster. The commander of Shadow Elite. _"Shadow Scout where the FUCK have you been? You've been radio silent for FIVE FUCKING DAYS! On top of that we have two confirmed detonations! What the hell happened?!"_

General Foster's anger didn't faze Eric. "Shadow Command be advised; mission took a drastic turn for the worst." Eric began to fill in the General on everything that happened at the Divide and who had launched the missiles.

"_Goddammit. Are your guys alright?" _Foster asked in concern.

"We're fine. I gotta take Myers to a nearby clinic to get her eardrum checked out."

"_Alright, but you can confirm the threat in the Divide is over." _The General asked, straight back to business.

"Sir there is another threat present in the Divide. A much greater threat than the remaining ICBMs." Eric informed the older man.

"_What kind of threat?"_

"The kind where I am requesting immediate orbital bombardment of the region until it's a crater sir." Eric said with fire in his voice.

**The Courier's Mile: December 5, 2281. 5:00 P.M.**

Several irradiated deathclaws had finished tearing apart the marked men that dared to attack them. The creatures began to feast on their flesh when a bright light caught their attention. They all looked up and saw a pillar of light enter from the sky until it reached through the massive crack in the ground… in the heart of the Divide. Without warning, everything from Hopeville, to Ashton, to Ulysses' Temple, was incinerated in the blink of an eye. The steel girders of the destroyed buildings, the concrete overpasses, the burned-out vehicles that littered the Divide, were vaporized into nothing but tiny little particles. The marked men that were scattered across the region were dead before they even realized it. A quick and painless death brought to them after a long time of suffering. The tunnelers that laid beneath the Divide, hidden in the rocks below, the caves that were formed or the buildings that still stood, couldn't dig fast enough to escape once the beam of light touched the ground. It was as if every tunneler turned to ash at the snap of someone's fingers. _(Thanos Reference!)_

The beam of light continued to burn into the Earth for a few more seconds before it vanished. Everything within a twenty-mile radius was reduced to nothing. What was once a place with giant cracks in the ground and all that remained of the pre-war military base… a place filled with nothing but suffering, was now a giant crater that ran deeper than the cracks of the Divide and reached a little past its borders.

For the first time since its birth, the storms of the Divide have finally rested.

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**THERE YOU HAVE IT! :D Chapter 1 for Battle for True Democracy is up and it is off to hopefully a good start. You guys are the judges of that. As always remember to leave a like or review...or both! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Also I had to add my little Marvel reference to honor the memory of the late and great Stan Lee! Excelsior!**

**Alright guys, until the next chapter.**

**NCRMC signing off for now.**


	2. The Shadows Lie in Wait

**Hellooooooooooooo my awesome readers! Couple of announcements.**

**1st: I want to thank you all for your amazing reviews. Your insight always motivates me to write more.**

**2nd: I went back and posted a thank you to my 1st story mainly because you guys deserved it. I also must stress to you guys that I did go back and see some spelling mistakes on the 1st story that I will correct, but it's going to take time because this story and my Dying Light story are taking precedence.**

**3rd: I have stated in the Thank you, the size of Vegas. This story will have Vegas feel like a bigger city, more casinos, more buildings, more population. D.C. was big, but Vegas didn't have that same feeling. I understand it's because of the memory restrictions the game had. Also, NO FUCKING FENCES THAT DIVIDE THE STRIP INTO THREE SECTIONS! That always irritated me.**

**4th: My friend and fellow author SOL1DSNAKE21 is creating a FanFiction based on Shadow Elite. It'll be a story that revolves around the Shadow Knights during the Sino-American War. He asked for my permission to create this story as well as use Shadow Knights from New Wars are Fought by Old Warriors. He has my blessing! To be honest I'm humbled. So thank you SOL1DSNAKE21! I can't wait to read it.**

**Finally (Whew that was more than a few announcements): This chapter will primarily focus on Eric and the Lion's Pride and it will also shed some light on questions that people had for the 1st story.**

**Also new OCs are introduced! Courtesy of coastierks and Paladin Bailey. I've got a few more OCs for this story, but I still need one more. Like I said I always welcome ideas and characters, but I also have a limit. Gotta keep the OCs to a minimum, because I maaaaay have overadded in my first story.**

**Reviews!**

**Paladin Bailey: Glad to see you back bud. I don't foresee Jason and Ulysses being part of Eric's squad, more along the lines of them contributing to something better for the Mojave.**

**LanzCorporalAssWipe: Thank you, thank you! There will be, but in building a nation, many obstacles must be overcome.**

**DarkRank550: YOU WOUND ME! I AM NO HIGH SPEED XD! Haha welcome back brother. I have no intentions of messing this up!**

**Gamerbox: I've still got one OC slot available left. I never got your character though :( So do me a favor my friend, just message me on here through Private Message and I'll see what character you have.**

**TMDF_Artyom: You'll be even more hyped as the story progresses.**

**FakeDaVinci: You, inflatedChimp, and GuestDB always leave the best reviews. So insightful! Yes, Ulysses would gladly plant his flag in the name of the EAGLE! Right now, the US, Midwest and Texas Brotherhood don't have an actual government, just a military alliance, the United Alliance. You got to start slow if you want to succeed in creating a nation. As for territories, all of the Midwestern states, minus parts of Ohio. Then they have Texas, obviously, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, parts of Pennsylvania and New York. Can't wait to read more of your story brother.**

**WOLFMASTERBELLA: Here's your update!**

**coastierks: Glad you liked it!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Shadows Lie in Wait**

**The Lucky 38: December 5, 2281. 5:18 P.M.**

In the penthouse, Jason sat back and took a deep breath as he finished recounting everything that happened to him at the Divide. From his encrypted message, to the marked men, to Ulysses and his plans to destroy the NCR. Jason told them about how he and Ulysses fought against the marked men under the Old-World flag. His companions all listened closely as he explained that Ulysses launched the final operational ICBM against the Legion as retribution for the destruction they had caused to his tribe, the Twisted Hairs. The last bit of information he told them was how he was saved by a group of unknown people before he blacked out.

Once Jason was finished, Boone was the first to speak. "These people you saw… you have any idea who they were? What they looked like?"

Jason shook his head. "I have no idea. The best I could tell was they were wearing black fatigues and looked to be military. I couldn't see their faces though. Next thing I know, I'm waking up outside of the canyon wreckage." He looked to Boone. "Does the NCR have some special forces group I've never heard of?"

Boone thought long and hard for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No. Not that I know of at least. We've got 1st Recon and the Rangers, but that's it. Plus, from what you've told us, the only NCR presence in the Divide were either dead or turned into marked men. I don't think the NCR would be willing to send more troops to die out there."

Jason scoffed in revulsion. "That hasn't stopped them before."

"What do you mean?" Cass asked with a small frown.

"The NCR has been sending soldiers here to die for almost six years. Over what? That fucking dam and this fucking city. So much blood spilt over little to no progress." Jason said with venom in his voice. He looked back and forth between Cass and Boone. "Have you guys thought about what I said?"

The two companions knew what Jason was referring to. The conversation he had with him and his plans to make Vegas and the Mojave an independent nation. Independent from the Legion and the NCR. Boone couldn't believe that Jason, after all the time he had spent in the NCR Army, was willing to force them out of the Mojave. At first, he was angry, disgusted, but as Jason explained the reasons… he had to admit that it would be for the better. Not just for the Mojave, but the NCR as well. It would benefit the NCR so they could focus primarily on fixing themselves, fixing their economy, and strengthening their borders. The rapid expansion of the New California Republic has taken its toll on them and if they didn't stop now, it would only be a matter of time before their government imploded.

The former 1st Recon sniper scratched the back of his head and let out a long, exhausted sigh. "You realize the NCR won't take this lying down."

Jason nodded in affirmation. "I'm aware, but Boone we have to do this, or else the NCR will not survive another twenty years."

Boone slowly nodded. "Alright… I'm with you Jason."

Jason looked to his next companion. "Cass?"

Cass had her arms folded and looked to be mulling the whole thing over. Finally, she came to a decision. "Ah fuck it. Yeah. I'm in. Besides, I would love to see the look on Oliver's face when he sees everything come tumbling down around him."

The Courier let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Alright." He looked to Yes Man. "How much damage did the ICBM cause the Legion, Yes Man?"

"According to my calculations, the Legion had over three thousand soldiers at Dry Wells at the time of detonation. This is good news for us." Yes Man said happily.

Jason scowled at the AI. "How is setting off a nuke good news?"

"Because, I've been intercepting NCR Ranger radio traffic and according to a nearby patrol, the Legion forces at Dry Wells were supposed to move in to reoccupy Fortification Hill with a main force from Flagstaff. The army from Flagstaff arrived earlier this morning with almost 4,000 soldiers. The combined Legion forces would've been large enough to launch their attack and overwhelm NCR positions all the way to the Mojave Outpost." Yes Man informed the Courier. "If the missile hadn't gone off, the probability of suffering total defeat at the hands of the Legion would've been 98.95%."

Jason sighed and buried his face in his hands. He wanted to beat back the Legion, but not at the cost of having to use nuclear methods. However, this new bit of information helped to ease the Courier's mind. The NCR only had around 2,500 troopers in the region along with 300 maybe 400 Rangers. If Dry Wells hadn't been destroyed, the Legion would've marched across the Mojave.

"Alright." Jason said as he dropped his hands to his sides and looked to his companions. "The destruction at Dry Wells delayed the inevitable. It bought us some time to help fortify the NCR lines along the Colorado and prepare for the battle. I need to speak to Elder McNamara to see how the Brotherhood's preparations for the upcoming battle are going."

Veronica looked down at the mention of her former chapter. Then she looked to Jason. "You still haven't told Colonel Moore that the Brotherhood would be there to help them at Hoover Dam."

Jason shook his head. "No, because she already found out. I don't plan on going back there, because knowing the bitch she'll probably cuss me out and then shoot me… well, probably not shoot me. She'll do something, and I don't have time to put up with her brusque "listen to me or face my wrath" attitude."

The others, minus Boone, chuckled at Jason's description of the war-hardened Colonel. Arcade stood from his seat. "I'm going to head back to Freeside to help Julie and the Followers prepare for the influx of injured when the Legion attack."

"I'm going to Westside to see if there's anything they need." Raul said as he left with Arcade.

Veronica rocked back and forth on her feet with her usual peppy attitude. "I… I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'll find something. (Gasp) I know! I'm going to go try out my new dress and see how many heads I can turn at the Luxor!"

Jason raised his hand up to gain her attention. "Uh, I wouldn't do it at the Luxor, since the White Gloves own that one, it's way too…" Jason snapped his fingers as he thought about it. "what's the words I'm trying to find? Prim and proper. Last I checked, classy women don't ogle pretty girls."

Veronica slightly pouted at Jason's input. "Any suggestions then? I refuse to go to Gomorrah."

Scratching the back of his neck, Jason started naming each of the casinos inside his head. '_Gomorrah, Ultra-Lux, Tops, Luxor, The Paris, Bellagio, The New York-New York, the Venetian, Bally's ah bingo!'_

"Bally's Casino. The Chairmen own that one and I'm sure you might be able to catch an _honest_ girl's attention or two." Veronica squealed in excitement before running off to the elevator to go change and have fun on the Strip. "MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR POWERFIST BEHIND! I DON'T THINK THE LADIES WOU- ahh and she's gone." Jason said as he heard the elevator door close. He wanted to make sure she didn't take her pneumatic gauntlet that would scare others. "Wait a minute… oh yeah security would take it from her."

Cass snorted in amusement and shook her head. "She's a like a kid sometimes. You know that right?"

Jason smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but she's like a child that can punch a hole in a deathclaw's face. I've always seen Veronica as a little sister. So cheery… and sometimes annoying to the point I want drag my face across broken glass." Boone chuckled at Jason's remark. The latter looked to the former with wide eyes and put a hand to his chest. "Oh my God. Are you laughing? Who are you and what have you done with the always apathetic and slightly grumpy sniper?"

Boone snorted and shook his head. "Kiss my ass." He stood up from his seat and grabbed his rifle. "I'm going to see if I can pick off any Legionaries that may have strayed across the Colorado."

After Boone left. Jason pursed his lips and looked to Cass. "Wanna come with me to Hidden Valley?" He asked while petting Rex.

Cass shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, why not? Beats sitting here and doing nothing."

**Compound Alpha. One Mile from Area 51: December 5, 2281. 10:04 P.M.**

"FUCK!" One of the Rangers shouted as he tossed his helmet across the room.

Staff Sergeant Butch DeLoria was just as upset as his Rangers. It had been a really shitty week for them since their arrival at Area 51 wasn't a very welcome one. Because no one had been around to keep the base squared away for over 200 years, the desert had slowly retaken it. Sand had buried the tarmac, which caused everyone on board the C-130 to prep for crash landing. The resulting crash had claimed the lives of both pilots and two Rangers. On top of that, the desert sands had most of the hangers and garages covered halfway. Butch and his squad had finally made it through to the underground cryo chambers, where they had a new problem.

Butch held a hand against his mouth as he stared at the terminal screen in anguish. The Rangers finally made it to the cryo chambers to start releasing the people from their pods when they came across some grim news. Butch grabbed his radio. "Captain, I need you down here at cryo level one ASAP."

A few minutes later, Captain Jason Thompson entered the room and immediately took heed of his men's dismay. "What happened?"

"We've got multiple life-support system failures throughout the chambers sir." Butch informed.

Captain Thompson felt his heart drop. "How bad?"

Butch looked back at the terminal. "Out of the 400 troops that were assigned here, 73 of them died of cardiac arrest."

"What about our families?" Thompson asked, feeling sick to his stomach.

Butch typed away on the keyboard until he got the results he was looking for. The former Tunnel-snake ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck."

"Sergeant!" Thompson said to snap his soldier out of his funk. He needed to know how many people they lost and if his wife and daughter were amongst them.

"Out of the 3,000 civilians assigned to the facility, only 2,981 entered cryo stasis. Out of all of those that made it here, 346 also died of cardiac arrest."

Thompson blinked back the tears, refusing to let them fall. "Can you find my family? Look for Rebecca and Leah Thompson."

As Butch typed at the keys, Thompson closed his eyes and silently prayed. "I found them sir. They're alive." The Ranger Captain let out a breath of relief. "Cryo level two, pods 315 and 316 Alpha."

Captain Thompson took off to find his family with Butch tailing after him. When they reached the designated location, Jason started moving down the aisles, trying to find his wife and daughter's pods. "311, 312, 313, 314… Oh my God." He stopped in front of the cryo pod where his wife was. She still looked the same since he last saw her. Her blonde hair, her tan skin. It really was her. Next to his wife's pod was the one that contained his five-year-old daughter. He quickly activated the release on his wife's cryo pod, stepping back as the doors opened. Thompson moved to catch his wife before she collapsed to the floor.

"Rebecca. Come on honey wake up. Please wake up." Jason said as he tapped his hand against her cheek, ignoring her cold body as he held her in his arms.

Slowly, his wife started to stir before her eyes finally opened. When she saw her husband, a small smile played across her face. She reached out and put a hand against his cheek. "Hey love."

Thompson choked back a sob as he pulled his wife closer and cried into her shoulder. At first his wife was confused, but when she heard him repeatedly saying "I thought I lost you," she gently rubbed the back of his neck, assuring him that she wasn't going anywhere.

When he finally pulled away, he gave her a long and loving kiss on the lips and helped her to her feet. "How long was I out for?"

"Too long. Let's get Leah." Jason said as they both looked to Butch who was examining other pods. Rebecca looked at the soldier then back at her husband. "He's one of my soldiers." He told her as he activated the release on their daughter's pod.

Both parents caught their daughter and she was quick to awaken. She looked at her mother, who had tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face. She quickly turned and saw her dad, whom she hadn't seen in almost a year. (Well 204 years, but you get the point!)

"Daddy!" She said excitedly as she embraced her father.

Jason shed fresh tears as he held his daughter in his arms, pulling his wife to join them in the embrace.

Butch looked at the scene with a sad smile on his face. He was happy that his Captain was reunited with his family, but for him it was a bittersweet moment. He looked at the pod he was standing in front of. Inside the pod was a young woman who wouldn't be seeing her loved one again. She was one of the many that had died from cardiac arrest. Many of the Pre-War soldiers would be receiving their families soon, but many others would be receiving broken hearts. The former Tunnel-snake left to go inform command as well as Eric.

**Freeside: December 15, 2281. 5:31 A.M. (10 Days Later)**

Inside an abandoned three-story building… or so it looked. Eric and his squad were waking up and getting ready for today's activities which primarily consisted of gathering intel on the NCR and Vegas itself. The group of soldiers had moved into Freeside after Eric's recon scout Williams got sick with pneumonia. The mold particles from the water in the main assembly room of the H&H Tool Factory had been a contributing factor and Eric didn't want to jeopardize his squad's health any further.

The Shadow Knights all took up different rooms while Carter was downstairs with his radio at the main desk. Melissa and Eric rummaged through their bags and began changing. As Eric pulled a tan t-shirt out of his bag, he turned and saw Melissa in her underwear. Just like him, there were scars that littered across her body. The Lone Wanderer couldn't help, but admire the lovely woman's physique, her smooth tan skin, the tribal art tattoo that covered her entire left arm, and her choice of underclothing. She was sporting a black bra and black panties that really… defined her assets.

Eric walked over and wrapped his arms around his love from behind. "You're so damn perfect." He whispered before planting a kiss against her neck.

Melissa smiled and turned her head to look at Eric. "Down boy!" She ordered as she broke the embrace. "We've got more important things to deal with." Being that she was only two inches shorter than Eric, she didn't need to stand on her tiptoes when she planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Later though." She promised.

Eric groaned in mock frustration, but quickly relented and went back to getting dressed. "I'll show you later." Melissa raised a challenging eyebrow at Eric's remark. She grabbed her riggers belt and whipped it at the man, smacking him in the arm. "Hey now! You be nice!"

Melissa chuckled and was about to reply when AJ's voice could be heard throughout the entire second floor in the room next to them. "HEY! NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR YOU GUYS FUCKING!"

The laughs and hearty chuckles of the rest of Lion's Pride could be heard from the other rooms. The two officers couldn't help but laugh themselves. "Shut up AJ!" Eric shouted through the wall that separated their rooms.

Once everyone got changed into different outfits, they grabbed their weapons and headed back downstairs. Most of them had changed from their uniforms into much more appropriate/civilian attire. They were wearing beige cargo pants; some were wearing coyote brown t-shirts while others wore black. They had desert shemaghs around their necks, brown all-terrain boots, sand tan dragon skin vests, and finally a tan or black baseball cap.

The only two Shadow Knights that weren't present were Spreng and Toshi. Eric had sent Spreng to keep an eye on all Legion activity along the Colorado. Toshi, after making a long trek and bitching about it the whole way, was at Big Mountain gathering intel on prototype weapons and anything that could prove to be beneficial to the UA.

Since their return from the Divide, Lion's Pride had spent a good deal of time sneaking across the Legion's side of the Colorado to see what they were up to.

The Shadow Knight Lieutenant gathered everyone around a map of the Mojave, courtesy of Reynolds. Thanks to the former NCR Ranger, Eric had studied all locations of importance, and the factions that roamed the region. "Today we're going to gather anything we can on the NCR. Blend in with the shadows. Here's what I want you all to do. AJ," Eric tossed the SAW gunner a bag with 2,000 caps. "you're my eyes and ears on the Strip. Any and all intel you can gather, I want it. So, ditch your gear here and try to keep your pistol hidden, just in case." He looked to Reynolds and Marin. "You two, head to South Vegas to put some pressure on the Fiends."

The former NCR Ranger turned to glare daggers at the former Legion doctor. Marin quickly returned the look he was receiving and it became apparent to everyone else in the room that the two former enemies still had much hate for each other. Myers and AJ took a step forward, preparing for a possible confrontation.

Eric snapped his fingers in front of them to gain their attention. "Knock that shit off. Both of you. Look I can't imagine what you two have been through when you were enemies fighting under different flags, but that's in the past. You'll both cooperate and act like teammates or I'll fuck you both up and have you transferred out of the Pride! Do I make myself clear?" The Lone Wanderer asked in an ice-cold tone that brokered no room for an argument.

"Yes sir!" Both Shadow Knights said, finally looking away from each other.

"Good." Eric looked back at the map. "Myers, you'll gather intel here in Freeside. Melissa, I need you at Camp Golf to gather every last report or file that has gone in and out of there."

"Before she goes." Reynolds reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He tossed them to the Captain, who deftly caught them with one hand. "There's a Ranger safehouse to the south of Vegas. Very rarely does anyone ever go there." He pointed to the location on the map, which Melissa marked on her own. "It's always stockpiled with fresh Ranger uniforms. Camp Golf always has mercs that wander through, but they're always under scrutiny from troops stationed there. Go with a uniform and you'll draw less attention."

Williams sat up, but was still very sick. "Where do you want me LT?" He asked with a slight wheeze before coughing uncontrollably. Judging by how raspy and wet the coughs sounded, Williams was in no condition to travel.

"You're staying here to hold down the fort with Carter. You're still in no condition to be moving and I'm not risking your health even further." Eric told the recon scout.

"But LT." Williams tried to protest, but Eric shut him down.

"End of discussion Williams. Rest up til Marin says you're good to go." The Lone Wanderer looked to his radio officer. "You've got things covered here?"

"Don't worry brother, I got your six." Carter assured. "Spreng just checked in. Legion is still fortifying their positions, but they aren't moving to attack yet.

Eric nodded. "Alright… I'm heading to McCarren to gather intel. You guys know what to do. Move with Pride."

"Lion's Pride!"

**Big Mountain, The Sink: December 17, 2281. 5:31 P.M. (2 Days Later)**

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING DIM YOU BITCH?!" Light Switch 01 shouted at the other.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did the bulb finally switch on for you? It's about time." Light Switch 02 insulted.

"Ladies please. There's no need for this. Let's all just embrace in the love." Blind Diode Jefferson said, the jukebox trying to intervene in the catfight between the light switches.

"SCREW YOUR LOVE! I'LL MAKE SURE IT ALL BURNS TO THE GROUND IN A HEAP OF NUCLEAR FIRE! FEAR MY WRATH!" The Toaster proclaimed.

Specialist Toshi Sonda was at his wits end. The automated personalities wouldn't stop arguing and it was becoming increasingly hard to concentrate on reviewing all of the files he had downloaded from the central computer systems in the Think Tank. Ever since he arrived at Big Mountain, he had been facing constant threats. Robotic scorpions, lobotomized people, cazadors, the freakiest thing he came across was the skeletons in the trauma harnesses. Getting shot at by the walking dead was not on his list of things he'd planned on doing. Those floating robot brains were even more annoying. Them screaming at him for walking around with his "penis-tipped appendages."

Now he was sitting next to the Sink Central Intelligence Unit, going through everything gathered on the Pre-War military. Prototype weapons, top secret projects, and a few other interesting things.

"Anyone seen my mugs?" Muggy asked.

"SHUT UP YOU MUG HOARDING FREAK!"

Toshi had enough. He rocketed out of his chair and stormed into the living room. "ENOUGH! I'M TRYING TO CONCENTRATE HERE! SHUT UP!"

"YOU CAN'T SILENCE ME YOU BALD HEADED FUCK!" The Toaster shouted in defiance. Toshi walked over and grabbed the household appliance. "HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" The tech expert walked out to the balcony and threw the Toaster over the edge! "GOOD LUCK MAKING TOAST!" It screamed before it hit the ground and shattered into hundreds of little pieces.

"Citizen! That was unbelievably seditious!" The Book chute said.

Toshi pulled out his glowing blue knife. It was his own personal creation which he had dubbed the Hack Knife. The blade itself was steel, but the electrical components inside the blade allowed it to hack into any computer system by simply jamming it into a holotape port. It also had the same damaging effects as Jingwei's shocksword.

"One more word out of you and I'll fry every last one of your circuits to a crisp." Toshi warned the book chute.

"Sir, I have a suggestion that would be copacetic for the both of us." The Sink Central Intelligence Unit said. "I could simply turn off the automated personalities to allow for more peace and quiet."

"Please! Do it!" Just like that, the room fell silent. "There is a God." He said as he went back to reviewing all the collected files. He found one labeled 'Rebirth Initiative' and was suddenly interested.

**Camp Forlorn Hope: December 17, 2281. 9:03 P.M.**

Tech Sergeant Alicia Reyes rubbed tiredly at her eyes as Major Polatli and the other troopers left the command tent to get some sleep. The reports of Legion reinforcements arriving along the Colorado continued to come in from multiple patrols and lookouts along the river. Reyes was starting to worry as the Legion reoccupied the Fort and were mounting strong defensive positions that could hinder the NCR during the fight for Hoover Dam.

Alicia was so tired and lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone enter the tent. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt that person put a hand on her shoulder. Alicia turned to see an all too familiar Courier standing there with his hands held up in front of him.

"Easy Licia." Jason said using his nickname for her. "It's just me."

Reyes took a couple seconds to catch her breath before retaking her seat. "God you are such an assh- warn a girl next time?" She told the Courier, completely exasperated.

Jason chuckled and leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry, had I known you were gonna go flying through the tent I would've knocked." He said as he pulled up a chair and took a seat next to her.

Alicia raised an eyebrow at Jason. "Knocked on what? The flap?"

"Nah, probably the table." He said with his trademark grin that always made her heart flutter.

"You mind telling me where you've been? I haven't seen you in almost three weeks." Alicia stated, turning to face her… what were they? That was something she needed to know.

Jason took a breath as he told Reyes everything that had happened to him at the Divide. Including the missile that was fired at the Legion and the mysterious figures that saved his life. Alicia listened intently as Jason talked about the aftermath of destruction he saw at the Divide, the marked men, and the tunnelers.

Once Jason finished retelling his story, Reyes reached out and took his hand in hers. "You're ok though, right?" She asked in concern. Him telling her about his near death in the silo chambers was enough to make her stomach churn.

Jason nodded. "Yeah." He gestured to himself and his new elite riot gear. "I'm right as rain… I promise you I'm ok Licia." He said, gently placing a hand against her cheek.

Alicia smiled sadly as she removed his hand from her face. "Can I talk to you Jason?"

The Courier raised an eyebrow at her question. "What are we doing right now?" He asked sarcastically. His comment earned him a well-deserved kick in the leg. "Ow! I'm kidding."

"I'm being serious Jason." The Tech Sergeant said with no trace of humor.

"Alright. I'm all ears. What do you want to talk about?" Jason asked.

"What are we?"

That question left Jason stumped for a little longer than it should have. "What do you mean?" The Courier asked, feigning ignorance.

Alicia scowled at the man. "You know damn well what I mean. This…" She gestured back and forth between them. "whatever we are. Whatever we have going on." Jason's eyes flicked away from her as he tried to find the right words. His long silence and lack of eye contact gave the Tech Sergeant an answer she didn't like. "I guess that answers my question." She said getting up to leave.

Jason stood up and reached out to grab her hand to halt her retreat. "Licia wait!"

She spun around to give him a look that would've killed most men on the spot. "Look, if all you're looking for is an easy lay, then don't bother coming to me. I'm not some cheap whore from Gomorrah." Alicia said as she tried to leave again, but Jason's firm grip kept her in place.

"Alicia, would you just listen to me?" Jason almost pleaded.

"What?" She asked, looking him in the eyes while hers were full of fire… and unshed tears.

Jason took a deep breath. "Look this isn't an easy thing for me."

"What isn't?"

"This!" He pointed back and forth between them. "The idea of an actual relationship, because I've never actually been in one."

Reyes gave Jason a disbelieving look. "Oh, give me a break. That's a load of shit."

Jason raised an eyebrow at her challengingly. "Really? Out of all the things you've heard about me; from getting shot in the head to killing Caesar himself, me not ever being in a relationship, _that's_ the most unbelievable thing you've heard?"

Alicia pondered what he said for a second before replying. "Jason, you are an incredibly charismatic and handsome man. Of course, I find it hard to believe."

The Courier had a mischievous grin on his face as he cocked his head slightly. "You think I'm handsome?"

"And cocky." She added.

Jason chuckled, almost dejectedly. "Yeah… well when you have this," He pointed at the angry red scar that covered most of his neck. "a lot of women don't exactly care about the looks. They act like I'm some mutant half breed. They don't ever want to stop to think that maybe, just maybe, I got this scar because of a certain, psychotic, flamethrower wielding Fiend and his junkie friends."

Realization dawned on Reyes at that moment. "Cook-Cook."

Jason nodded. "That's why I was drawn to you Alicia. When we first met, you didn't stop to stare at my scar, hell you never asked how I got it. You treated me like a man that didn't have any burdens to carry."

"What about before you got the scar?"

"I was more focused on being a soldier in the NCR." Jason told her.

"Before that?"

Jason opened his mouth, but immediately clamped it shut. He always hated talking about his past, because it was never a good one. However, he felt like he owed Alicia an explanation. He sighed before sitting back down. "I was too busy surviving." He said, keeping his eyes on the floor.

Reyes had a look of confusion and she knelt down in front of him. She cupped his face in her hands and got him to look at her. "Hey. You of all people should know that I'm not a judgmental person. Whatever is going through your mind right now, you can tell me." Alicia assured him as she gently stroked her thumb against his cheek.

Jason sighed and placed a hang against on of hers. "I was an orphan Licia. I spent my entire childhood growing up on the streets, fighting, stealing food, sleeping in abandoned buildings, all just to make it to the next day." Now that definitely wasn't something Alicia was expecting. Out of every possible answer he could have given her, this wasn't one that came to mind. Jason took notice of the shocked look in her eyes and gave her a sad smile. "Not something you would expect from a guy like me?" She slowly shook her head in response. "Nobody ever does. I joined the army after a trooper caught me stealing something from a vendor. He gave me the option to go to jail or enlist so I wouldn't starve and I could, as he put it, "Be a part of something greater.""

"That's why you haven't been with anyone." Alicia said. More of a statement than it was a question.

Jason nodded. "Look. I don't know what we are Licia, but I do know one thing. I don't want it to be something casual. I want it to be something more, but only after we've beaten back the Legion."

The NCR Tech Sergeant nodded in understanding. "Ok. You realize I'm going to hold you to that?"

The Courier chuckled. "I'd expect nothing less." He said as he planted a chaste kiss against her lips. Reyes pulled him close, refusing to break the kiss.

Before they could go any further, Boone burst inside the tent, making them jump apart. "Jason, you need to head to the medical tent!"

"Why? What's wrong?" He asked as he and Alicia got up to follow the former NCR Sniper.

Boone didn't say anything as he led them into the medical tent where a group of NCR Rangers were standing over a wounded Legion Frumentarii they had brought in. Major Polatli was also in the crowd of soldiers. Dr. Richards was looking over the injuries on the wounded enemy soldier and they were grisly. He had been shot in both of his kneecaps as well as his elbows. Several of his teeth were missing and his nose was a bloody mess. You could even see his nasal bone sticking out of the skin. His entire face was swollen except for his right eye.

Jason moved to stand over the wounded Legionary. He looked to one of the Rangers. "What the fuck happened to him?"

The Ranger was just as surprised. "We don't know. Colonel Hsu sent us here to reinforce the Camp since the Fiends are pretty much wiped out. When we got to the Grub & Gulp Rest Stop, everyone had been killed, including all of the Frumentarii that launched the attack. At least a dozen of them. He's the only one that survived."

"Why bring him here? Why not Camp Golf since it's closer to the rest stop?" Jason asked.

"We heard you were here and figured this might be your handy work." Another Ranger informed the Courier.

Jason shook his head. "It wasn't me. I haven't been to the Grub & Gulp in weeks." He looked to Doc Richards. "How bad is he doc?"

"At this point, killing him would be mercy." Richards said grimly. "Multiple broken ribs, several stab wounds and lacerations across his torso. On top of that, the gunshot wounds to his limbs have left his nerves useless. He'll never be able use his arms or legs again. And take a look at this." The NCR doctor pointed at what appeared to be a boot imprint on the left side of the man's face. "Someone smashed his face in with their foot. The level of damage inflicted on this man tells me one thing."

"Someone wanted to make these guys suffer." Jason finished for the doctor, who nodded in agreement. The Courier looked back at the injured man, who was barely awake and looking at him with his good eye. "Who did this to you?"

The Frumentarii snarled at the Legion's worst enemy. "Courier!"

The Courier smacked the man across the face. "Yeah, me the fabled Courier. Now what happened?" He asked, already losing his patience.

Though the pain was excruciating, that didn't stop the Legion soldier from speaking. "Legate Lanius sent us to put an end to you, Courier… we had the perfect trap set up for you and anyone else that wandered too close. That's when she attacked."

"She?" Jason asked with growing curiosity. "She who?"

"I don't know." The man growled in frustration. "It was a wench clad in an NCR Ranger uniform."

Jason choked back a laugh of irony. "So, you and your buddies got your asses handed to you by a "profligate wench" as you would put it?" The Rangers laughed at the insult.

Instead of rising to the bait, the injured Legionnaire laughed, blood spilling out of the corner of his mouth. "Fool, she was not NCR."

That gained everyone's attention. "What do you mean she wasn't NCR?" Major Polatli asked.

The Frumentarii smiled maliciously as blood started filling his airway. "Do you have (Gasp) any idea (Gasp) how many of your whores I've slain personally?" He asked with a chuckle.

A few of the Rangers, angered by the man's insult against their sisters in uniform, made a move to finish him off, but the Courier put his hand up to stop them. "You're better than that. He's not worth it… not yet." The Rangers gave the Courier a respectful nod before stepping back. Jason turned back to the Legion assassin. "Why do you believe she's not with the NCR?"

"There was twelve of us (Gasp) and just one of her. That woman (Gasp) singlehandedly beat us all, (Gasp) most of us she didn't even use a weapon." The injured man explained with a hint of admiration in his voice.

That wasn't enough information for Jason though. "I've met plenty of Rangers that posses the skill to fight several opponents with their bare hands."

"Perhaps. But it was not her skills that told me she wasn't NCR. (Gasp) It's what she said to me… before she left me to die." He said as he coughed up more blood.

"What did she say?" Major Polatli asked, pressing for more intel.

The Frumentarii hawked up a wad of blood out of his mouth to clear his airway. "She knew I was alive. She walked over to me and placed her boot on my face. I told her to finish me off. I told her it wouldn't stop the Legion from putting a collar on her and every other NCR wench. Instead, she chuckled and said. "Even if the NCR loses, _we_ won't."" He said emphasizing the word we. ""The NCR is a threat to you, but there's a bigger threat waiting to strike." After that, she left and now here I am. Whoever she is, she's not your common NCR whore."

"What did she look like? Where did she go?" Jason asked.

The Frumentarii just laughed. "You think I'd tell you? She may be an enemy of the Legion, but that doesn't mean she's a friend of the NCR."

"You're willing to defend her? She killed your men. You said she beat most of them to death. Look at what she did to you!" Jason said incredulously.

"True… very true. But here's the thing Courier. Our defeat at the hands of this woman… she has gained something from me that no other has… my respect. Plus, you not knowing who she is, or what her intentions are, that confounds you. All the more reason not to say another word on the matter and there's nothing you can do to make me talk." The Frumentarii said triumphantly.

Jason unsheathed his combat knife. "You're right." With that, he jammed the blade into the wounded Legionnaire's head, quickly killing him. Jason pulled the knife free and wiped it against the dead soldier's uniform. "Major, I think we need to inform Chief Hanlon that he's got an imposter roaming the Mojave."

Polatli nodded. "Agreed. Sergeant Reyes, get on the radio and inform Camp Golf and the Ranger Stations to be on the lookout for a female spy!"

"Yes sir." Reyes looked at the Courier one last time before leaving the tent to notify the Rangers throughout the Mojave.

As most of the NCR personnel filed out of the medical tent, Jason remained where he was, thinking about everything the Frumentarii just told him.

"What are you thinking Jason?" Boone asked him.

Jason turned to face his companion. "A mysterious aircraft appears to the north of us, a group of people save my life in the Divide and I don't know who they are, and now we've got a woman disguised as a Ranger, solitarily killing an entire squad of Frumentarii. No such thing as coincidences."

"You think there's a connection?" The sniper wondered.

Jason nodded. "I think we have new players in town."

**Freeside: December 17, 2281. 11:04 P.M.**

"You know I love you, but sometimes I wonder if you've got a death wish." Eric said as he injected a stimpak in Melissa's arm. She didn't come out of her fight with the Legion squad unscathed. One of the Frumentarii managed to leave a long and nasty gash against her right shoulder blade. Now that she was back, she stripped out of her upper clothing, minus her bra, so Eric could patch up her wound.

As Eric reached for the needle and stiches, Melissa gave him a look that asked 'Are you serious?' "Me?! This coming from a guy who went into Pittsburgh to take out an entire army of raiders and mutants to liberate a bunch of slaves, then had to fight his way past said slaves to save a fucking baby."

"Hey! For the record, I had Butch with me!" Eric said defensively as he attached the thread to the needle.

"Oh, I guess that makes it sooooo much easier then. Two stooges take on hundreds of enemies by themselves and I'm getting chastised for taking on a dozen Legion soldiers." Melissa said, almost casually.

"Ok first of all, who are you calling a stooge? Secondly, the Legion isn't full of amateur raiders. They're all well-trained and well-equipped killers." Eric stated matter-of-factly.

"Well-trained killers that haven't faced us yet. Not until now at least." Melissa said with a victorious smirk.

Eric groaned as he shook his head. "Stubborn woman."

"Fuck you."

"When and where?"

Carter had been listening to the two officers' bicker as he monitored the radio. He knew they were poking fun at each other, but the moment they started making sexual remarks was when he put his foot down. He took off his headset and looked at the two. "HEY! As your landlord I have a policy about loud sexual noises and lascivious behavior! I'm gonna have to ask you to stop!"

"Shut up Carter!" Eric and Melissa said synchronously, making the radio operator chuckle almost childishly. "And what makes you think you're the landlord? We are the commanding officers here."

"Hey, you left me in charge of the building. That makes me the owner!" Carter stated.

"Oh, get back to your radio and you," Eric turned to Melissa. "Sit!" He ordered, pointing at a chair. The Shadow Knight Captain groaned as she sat down in the chair. Eric got a cloth that he drenched in vodka and applied it to the laceration, causing Melissa's body to tense as she let out a painful hiss. "Sorry."

"It's alright. I prefer this over anything else." Melissa assured.

"Yeah. Hold still." He told as he started stitching her wound. "What all did you get at Camp Golf?"

Melissa reached over to grab the holotape that was stashed in the Ranger armor pad. "Everything. Troop movements, Ranger reports, supply statuses, mission statements. I got the whole shebang. I also managed to plant a bug in one of their radios. There's one thing that really caught my attention though."

"Which is?" Eric asked as he continued to stich Melissa's wound.

"That guy we pulled out of the Divide. Jason Bowers?" Eric nodded. "He's a former NCR soldier. And he's been busy here in the Mojave since his discharge."

Eric tied off the stitches and applied a bandage wrap to her shoulder. "Busy how?"

"See for yourself." She said handing him the holotape.

Eric inserted the tape into his Pip-Boy and scrolled through a lot of the information. Most of the information from the last three months were reports on Jason's accomplishments in helping the NCR fight the Legion. Not only that, there were reports on how the Courier helped the NCR with supply shortages and other issues. He ejected the holotape and inserted the one he used to download everything off of Colonel Hsu's terminal at Camp McCarren.

"To say this guy has been busy is a fucking understatement." Eric said admiring the achievements of this Courier.

"What did you find?" Melissa asked.

Before he could reply, Marin and Reynolds entered the building and locked the door behind them. "Find anything?" Eric asked.

"Uh, do decaying corpses count as something?" Reynolds asked as he took a sip from his flask.

"Actually yes, they do."

"Oh, then we found a lot. Every Fiend we came across in South Vegas was dead. They've been dead for weeks, probably longer. Not only that, Vault 3 was the central hub for all Fiends in the Mojave. Not a single living soul inside. Motor-Runner, the head honcho himself, we found his body with his head on the other side of the room." Marin told his Lieutenant.

"I think I know why. Listen to this!" Eric said as he found the most recent report on the Fiends. "Thanks to the help of independent courier, Jason Bowers, the Fiends are no longer a threat to NCR forces as well as innocent civilians. His assistance has proved vital to the Republic's victory here in the Mojave. The death of Fiend leaders Violet, Cook-Cook, Driver Nephi, and Motor-Runner, along with other low-ranking Fiend leaders, has caused total collapse amongst these raiders. I sent Ranger Bryce Anders and a squad of troopers to kill any remaining stragglers and they came back within an hour stating the mission was a total success. They encountered almost little to no resistance from the surviving Fiends. I think the troops here at McCarren can finally rest easy at night without having to worry about some crazed junkie slitting their throats the next day. Signed, Colonel James Hsu."

Melissa whistled in respect. "I'm impressed."

A knock on the door gathered their attention. "Who is it?" Eric asked.

"It's Myers." Reynolds unlocked the door and let the marksman inside. "LT, you are not going to believe what I found out!"

"Does it have anything to do with Jason Bowers?" Eric asked.

Myers narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Alright, how do you do that? Do you have telepathic powers we don't know about?"

Once again, before he could reply, AJ walked into the room with a huge bag over his shoulder. "Sup bitches!"

"What the hell have you got?" Melissa asked, choosing to ignore the SAW gunner's brazen remark.

AJ smiled as he dropped the bag and opened it up to reveal a bunch of caps. "Turns out I'm good at blackjack."

Eric pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "AJ, I sent you to the strip to gather intel, not gamble."

"50,000 caps right there." He said pointing at the bag with a huge grin. "We won't have to worry about running low on supplies anytime soon."

"AJ!"

"Relax LT. I got all of the info needed before I decided to try my hand at the tables. By the way I'm banned from the Ultra-Lux and Gomorrah."

"Get to the point before I put you on latrine detail for a month." Eric warned.

"Right, so it turns out there was a lot of bad shit happening on the Strip. The three Families that run the Strip, the Chairmen, the White Glove Society, and the Omertas, they had some inner conflicts. The Omertas were smuggling weapons in the city, planning to take control of it from Mr. House. Not only that, there was a lot of shady drug abuse going on with their hired hookers at their casinos. The treatment of those girls was just god awful until Nero and Big Sal, the guys in charge of the Omertas, were removed from the picture. The guy running the Omertas now, his name is Cachino. Ever since he become the boss, things have been running smoothly. The weapons were destroyed, drugs aren't permitted in their casinos, and the girls are treated and paid decently."

"Where'd you find all of this out?" Melissa asked with folded arms.

"A hooker named Dazzle at the Gomorrah. Turns out she's a great conversationalist." AJ said.

"Yeah after you payed her." Marin stated.

"Yes, but from everything I saw at the Gomorrah, the Venetian, Caesar's Palace, and the Mirage, it backs up everything she told me." AJ informed his officers, not wanting them to discredit his information. Eric nodded and gestured for his SAW gunner to continue. "The White Glove Society, they used to be a tribe of cannibals, something they want to erase that from their past. There was a few of them that tried to revert their followers back to cannibalism, but like the former Omerta bosses, they got taken out as well. Finally, the Chairmen, their business wasn't booming like it used to until someone started sending performers to their casinos. Plus, the leader of the Chairmen, Benny, he was making a move to take control of Vegas from Mr. House. He shot a guy in the head and stole something that would allow him to succeed in becoming the King of Vegas. Benny's dead now and the new guy in charge, his name is Swank. Here's the kicker… the guy Benny shot in the head, it's the same guy that cleaned up all the problems on the Strip. And it's the very same guy we rescued from the Divide."

Eric's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Jason Bowers."

AJ snapped his fingers and pointed at the Lieutenant. "Bingo. You just won the jackpot. But there's something else. Bowers killed Mr. House."

That information came as a complete shock to both Reynolds and Marin. "WHAT?!"

AJ nodded. "Shortly after Mr. House's Securitrons were upgraded, he died of "unknown circumstances." Jason Bowers, plus a few friends of his, did something that no one else has done in over 200 years. They entered the Lucky 38 Casino. Because of that, it's a good chance that Bowers had a hand in Mr. House's death. If I heard correctly from a couple Chairmen and White Gloves, the Vegas Families have pledged support to Jason Bowers."

"That's not all." Myers spoke up to get everyone's attention. "I did a lot of asking around here in Freeside. Found an NCR soldier that told me Bowers. Killed. Caesar."

Everyone's eyes almost popped out of their heads. Eric quickly scanned through his Pip-Boy and found a report labeled 'Destruction of Fortification Hill.'

"Jason Bowers did the impossible. He stormed the Legion occupied Fort with a small group of companions and left it almost in ruins. Not only did he succeed in killing Caesar himself, but he also neutralized Vulpes Inculta, Caesar's head of Frumentarii, and Lucius, head of Caesar's Praetorians." Eric read.

Reynolds and Marin couldn't believe their greatest enemy was dead. "He's removed two of the biggest faction leaders in the Mojave."

Upon hearing that, Eric looked to Melissa and could tell she was thinking the same thing he was. "This explains a lot. Why the Fiends are all dead. Why the Legion haven't made many recent trips across the Colorado. Bowers isn't working for the NCR. He's been playing them all along. He's making a move to rip Vegas from their grasp after the Legion gets beaten back."

Melissa looked unsure for a second. "Our orders are to establish good relations between the NCR and the United Alliance. Does this make Bowers a potential obstacle?"

"No. This is a game changer. Bowers may be trying to take control of the Mojave, but I don't think he's trying to become an enemy to the NCR. I think he's trying to take pressure off of them. Them and the Mojave. The Mojave doesn't want the NCR in control just as much as they don't want the Legion, and the NCR is slowly falling apart. Reynolds you and Marin have made that clear. Plus, some of the reports I've read back up those statements. If the people of the Mojave want Bowers as a leader, then why shouldn't he be?" Eric asked looking around to his squad. "Ulysses was right. If the UA wants to have a successful reformation of America, then we need leaders like Jason Bowers. He'd be a damn good asset to the Alliance."

"You realize General Wells and the others aren't going to be happy?" Melissa stated with slight apprehension.

"They can deal with it." Eric said, brushing off her concern.

The Shadow Knight Captain let out a breath. "Alright. I'll talk to General Foster, hopefully he can sway the Council." She said getting up to use the radio.

"Are we going to get court-martialed for this? If so… fucking awesome!" AJ said in a way too enthusiastic tone. "ANARCHY!"

The others chuckled. "If it comes to that, I'll take full responsibility." Eric promised his squad as he gathered them around the map of the Mojave. "Tomorrow I'll send you guys out to different locations. AJ, even though you spent a lot of time gambling, you did bring some valuable intel. For that, you're my permanent eyes and ears on the Strip. Is there a place there where you can lay low?"

AJ nodded. "There's a vault at the end of the Strip that was converted into a hotel. Cheap too, only 50 caps a night."

Eric nodded. "Take enough caps to last you two weeks. Knowing you, you'll probably gamble and win more money and have enough to stay longer if needed. Reynolds, I want you at Goodsprings, Myers at Primm, and Marin at Novac… Why the fuck is it called Novac?"

"Because the hotel sign fell apart. Instead of no vacancy it says Novac." Reynolds informed.

Eric snorted. "That's funny. Alright, bed down for the night. Head out at zero nine hundred. Dismissed."

As the Pride all left to get some sleep, Melissa walked over to Eric. "Well, Foster isn't pleased, but he agrees with us, so he's on board. He'll talk to the Council in the morning. But he's going to need some of our intel to help his case."

Eric nodded and looked past her at Carter. "Any word on Toshi?"

Carter removed his headset and unplugged it from the radio so they all could hear. "Perfect timing actually. Toshi. LT and Cap are here. What have you got for them?"

"_Plenty. I'll start out with something that may shed some light on Compound Alpha."_

"What do you mean?" Eric asked.

"_Remember how you told me that all of the soldiers at Rebirth survived their time in cryo stasis? Well I found out why. General Chase made sure at least six nuclear reactors were installed. One reactor would've been enough to keep the base going, but a secondary was installed in case the first one stopped functioning. The cryo chambers however, they required a larger power output. According to tests they conducted here at Big Mountain, cryogenics as well as the life support systems needed to keep people alive during cryo sleep, required twice as much power. That's why an additional four nuclear reactors were installed. One for the cryo chambers, one for the life support systems, and two more in case either one shut down."_

Melissa understood where this was going. "That does explain why no one died at Rebirth… how does it tie into Compound Alpha?"

"_Construction of Compound Alpha was never fully completed before the bombs fell. Only three reactors were constructed while the other three hadn't been started on."_

"It's possible the life-support systems had suffered occasional brownouts. Which is why so many people had died at the Compound." Eric deduced. "Anything else?"

"_Yeah. Rebirth had 30,000 troops assigned to it, but Compound Alpha only has 3,000 civilians assigned. Did they just randomly select families?"_

"Yes and no. No, because majority of the soldiers assigned to Rebirth didn't have any familial attachments. Yes, because those that did have families were chosen because they were either related to a high-ranking officer or they had unique skills and backgrounds. Doctors, engineers, scientists." Melissa informed.

"_Basically, anyone that could contribute to the restoration of America."_

"Exactly."

"_One last thing. That guy we saved in the Divide. He's been here."_

Melissa was just as shocked as Carter, but Eric was unphased by that info. "After everything I've heard about the guy, I wouldn't be surprised if walked on the moon."

"_Wait… what?"_

"Don't worry about it Toshi. Just get back here as soon as you can." Eric said as Carter went back to monitoring the radio. He looked to Melissa. "Get some rest. I'm going to start relaying these reports to Foster."

**D.C. Central Command: December 18, 2281. 9:15 A.M.**

In the aftermath of the Capital Siege, after the local towns and settlements had been rebuilt, the U.S. Military went to work on rebuilding a command center to coordinate their forces. The remains of the Citadel had been removed and in its place was a new structure. Though it no longer resembled the Pentagon and wasn't as big, it was still large enough to act as the headquarters for the Armed Forces. Two stories tall and a little smaller than the Jefferson Memorial.

Major General Mike Foster, the commanding general for the 189th Special Forces Group aka Shadow Elite, walked down the hall with two Shadow Knights that always acted as his personal security. Foster was beyond exhausted, but he wasn't going to let it show as he moved with a purpose. In his hands was a folder that was filled with paperwork and it was as thick as a phone book. The Shadow Knight General approached the entrance to the United Alliance Council Chambers. It was similar to that of the East Coast Brotherhood's Great Hall.

Mike looked to his security. "Head on to the breakroom guys! Hopefully this meeting won't be too long."

"Yes sir." The Shadow Knights replied as they took their leave.

General Foster took a deep breath before entering the room. Inside the room was the other commanders for the U.S. Military as well as those of the of the Midwestern and Texas Brotherhood. General Andrew Wells, the commanding officer for the entirety of the American Armed Forces was sitting at the main desk. Around him was Major Generals Doug Michaelson, Ashley Brookes, Frank Webb, and Rear Admiral John Howard. Next to General Wells was Midwestern Brotherhood General Jack Monroe and Texas Brotherhood General Tyler Phillips.

General Wells looked up and smiled at the Shadow Knight commander's arrival. "Mike. Good you're here. We can get this meeting started. Our preparations to attack the Legion are going as planned. Majority of our power armored forces are staged and ready to move. Ground support and aircraft are on standby. Mike, what's Shadow Elite's status?"

"I've got 500 Shadow Knights scattered across Legion territory; they'll make their move when the Legion attacks Hoover Dam… Before we continue with this meeting," Mike said as he looked at the others. "I believe we need to discuss a topic that's just as important."

Curiousness got the better of Andrew. "Proceed."

Mike took a second to gather his thoughts as all eyes fell on him. "I believe the Council needs to rethink its decision to have the NCR join the Alliance."

Some of the commanders groaned when they heard his proposition. Andrew rubbed a finger against his temple. "Mike we've been through this already."

"Just hear me out!" The Shadow Knight implored as he held up the file of reports for everyone to see. "I stayed up all night copying NCR files and reports that was gathered by Lieutenant Eric Daniels and his squad. Some of these files require the Council's attention."

"Hold on a second Mike! Lieutenant Daniels' orders were to recon and survey the Mojave and find a way to establish good relations with the NCR until we've arrived. Who gave him the orders to conduct espionage against the NCR?" General Wells asked as he became very aggravated.

"Nobody sir."

Aggravation turned into anger. "So, he's gone against our orders? My orders specifically?!" Andrew scoffed with indignation. "Tell Lieutenant Daniels he's relieved of his command and that Captain Broadhead is in charge of Lion's Pride!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that sir." Mike said, knowing the argument was about to go into full effect.

"Why the hell not?" The tone in Andrew's voice was colder than the winter weather outside.

"Because Captain Broadhead agrees with Lieutenant Daniels and stands by his decision sir." Mike remained steadfast against his superior officer's growing anger.

General Wells clenched his knuckles and let out an almost derisive chuckle. "I should've known. You were never fully on board with the Council's decision to allow the NCR into the Alliance. You had a feeling Lieutenant Daniels would go against our orders because of his distrust towards the NCR. You knew Captain Broadhead would defend his choice because of her relationship with him. That's why you sent her to act as his supervisor isn't it?"

General Foster stood at attention as he did an outstanding job of containing the smirk that threatened to break out. "I can't fix it if I don't know what's broken sir."

General Monroe leaned forward with his hands folded. "General Foster, need I remind you that the Midwestern and Texas Brotherhood no longer hold any ill will against the NCR? The NCR would be a great addition to the Alliance mainly because of their military capabilities, as well as the territory they hold. When the day comes that the Alliance unifies into a single operational nation, the NCR's contribution could prove to be invaluable."

Mike knew the Brotherhood General was trying to use logical reasoning to defuse the rising tensions, but the information he had defied those reasons. "With all due respect sir, this isn't about the Brotherhoods' past with the NCR. Even if it was, who's to say the NCR still doesn't hold any grudges against you? And you are correct, the NCR could contribute a lot, but with their current leadership, I don't foresee any reasoning with them. Neither does Lieutenant Daniels. He believes there's someone that would be more beneficial to the Alliance."

"Who?" Marine Corps General Michaelson asked.

"A former NCR soldier turned courier. His name is Jason Bowers. According to the intel Lieutenant Daniels has gathered, Mr. Bowers plans on turning the Mojave into an independent nation." Mike said as he sat the folder down on the desk, hoping someone would be willing to look at its contents.

"He wants us to support someone that would potentially turn the NCR into an enemy? Absolutely not, that's the last thing the Alliance needs." Andrew said firmly. "Since your soldiers have refused to follow our orders, I'm ordering them to cease all operations in the Mojave. I'll find someone else to takeover for them. If they don't cooperate, there will be hell to pay."

The threat against his soldiers made Mike narrow his eyes at the four-star General as he placed the file on the desk. "How about you take that stick out of your ass, sir!"

The other Generals all inhaled sharply as Andrew slowly got to his feet. He looked like a deathclaw ready to pounce. "I suggest you watch your attitude Mike! I'm still _your_ superior officer! Now order Lion's Pride to stand down before I throw them all in a cell when they get back!"

"Andrew!" Mike couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you listening to yourself right now?" He asked as he walked around the desk until he was standing face to face with General Wells. "You're willing to condemn Eric for trying to look out for us?"

"What he's doing does nothing to benefit the Alliance!" Andrew sneered.

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT BENEFITING THE ALLIANCE! THIS IS ABOUT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR IT! FOR THE PEOPLE WE ARE TRYING TO PROTECT!" Mike exploded in vexation before speaking in a calmer manner. "I don't understand what's going through your mind right now Andrew. Eric may be one of our soldiers, but if you recall correctly, he volunteered to help us. When you asked him to be our personal advisor, he accepted without hesitation." The Shadow Knight General pointed a finger at Andrew. "_You_ wanted Eric to act as our advisor. _You_ believed his input and advice would be crucial for us, because _you _were afraid of making the same mistakes our government did. Now_ you _are telling me that his advice isn't worth a dime? That we should just shrug off his advice after two years and act like it never mattered in the first place?" Mike said as he jabbed his finger at Andrew every time he emphasized the word "you."

Andrew was seething at the veteran Shadow Knight's outburst. "This conversation is over Mike. You're out of this meeting, get out!" He said with finality as he retook his seat.

Mike's eyes were focused on Andrew before looking around at the other commanders. They looked as if they wanted to say something, but none of them spoke. They just stayed quiet.

The Shadow Knight General sighed with defeat, but he wasn't fully beaten yet. "Fine. Sit there and act like a pissy politic instead of a real leader." He said turning to leave.

Before Mike had time to act, General Wells was back on his feet and shoved him against the wall. Mike let out a small grunt as the other commanders moved to break up the fight, but the Shadow Knight quickly raised a hand to stop them. General Wells had Mike by the collar of his dress uniform with his robotic left hand, while his right hand was balled into a fist. Both men were staring each other down, silently daring the other to make a move.

"Go ahead. Do it! Prove my point… General Babcock." Mike sneered.

The other US commanders gaped at General Foster in disbelief. Andrew… he felt like he had been punched in the stomach with a power fist. The comparison between him and the turncoat General that had killed Chase was worse than any other insult in the world. General Wells relinquished his hold on Mike and slowly took a couple steps back.

Mike took a deep breath and straightened out his uniform. "I think I get it Andrew. You're afraid… you're afraid that after everything we've been through, everything we've done in the past two years… you're afraid it'll be for nothing." When the four-star General looked down it confirmed Mike's suspicion. "You believe that because the NCR is the only faction with an actual functioning government, it'll better our chances. This isn't about their military or resources… it's about their political benefits. Andrew… We're all scared. But we need to put our fears aside, because if we don't… then we will lose everything. We jump the gun and it's over for us. We're here because of Eric and we owe it to him to listen to his advice. If we stop now, then we're no better than the leaders we followed before the war."

Everyone in the room slowly processed what Mike said. The Shadow Knight General decided it was time he left. As he reached the door, he turned and looked at the others. "If you want to go through with this, fine. I can't stop you; I can't stop the Council. Just let me make this clear though… If the NCR steps one iota outta line… if they jeopardize everything, we've worked for… I'll do whatever I have to." It was no threat. It was a promise that he was willing to go through with.

With that, he walked out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. The other commanders just sat there in stunned silence. Everyone looked to General Wells who still had his eyes on the door before he looked down at his desk. He noticed that Mike left the folder with all the reports and files behind.

Andrew stared at the folder for what felt like an eternity before he slowly reached down and opened it, pulling out the first report. The others slowly got up and started grabbing separate documents and began looking them over.

**Area 51: January 5, 2282. 9:41 P.M. (18 Days Later)**

The familiar whirring sound of multiple helicopters had echoed throughout the classified pre-war base. After Captain Thompson and his Rangers had freed the families from Compound Alpha, they had them sent to Mothership Zeta via a beacon that Elliot had dropped at the base entrance. Once their families were safe and sound back in D.C. the Rangers, as well as the troops assigned to the compound had spent a lot of time clearing the desert sand that had blocked the entrances to the hangers and vehicle depot. The troops assigned to the base were Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. With them were the remnants of the U.S. Coast Guard's Maritime Safety and Security.

Initially the Coast Guard personnel were supposed to go back with the surviving families, but because of all the Marines that had died in cryo, they were ordered to stay back and provide assistance. They were under the command of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Kalani.

Kalani, a caucasian man that was native Hawaiian, was a 20-year Maritime Enforcement Specialist that had seen plenty of action against Chinese naval infantry. His marksmanship as well as skills in Krav-Maga made him a very formidable opponent. The 5'11" man was also intimidating with his burly strength and piercing brown eyes. The Coast Guardsman slung his M4 over his shoulder and boarded a Huey, where he manned the door gun.

Marines and other Guardsmen boarded the helicopters while the rest hopped onto the Humvees and M35 trucks with the Rangers. Sergeant Marcus Phillips, Eric's master driver/pilot was hopping into the driver's seat of one of four next generation tanks. The M1A1 Abrams tank, designed by Chryslus Motors and General Atomics International. This tank was set to replace the M60 Patton and provide better ground support for troops in future conflicts, but only four had been created before the bombs fell. All of them were shipped to Area 51.

Captain Thompson had become the acting commander for the Marines and Coast Guard personnel since all other high-ranking officers had died during cryo sleep. He was the highest-ranking officer left in charge of these men and women.

Once he made sure all supplies from the base had been gathered and his troops were mobilized, Captain Thompson got in the lead Humvee with Butch being his driver. As the massive convoy of vehicles departed through the main entrance, the Hueys and Vertibirds all took to the skies, heading off in the direction of Vegas.

**Lucky 38**

"How many Yes Man?" Jason asked in concern as he saw the map of southern Nevada on the giant screen, several blimps on the map.

"I've detected 18 unknown aircraft Jason. All of them are heading our way." Yes Man informed as the screen went back to his face.

"Fuck." Jason growled.

"What are we going to do Jason?" Boone asked.

Jason wanted to be ready for whoever these unknown foes were, but there was something in the back of his head telling him not to worry. The reason for that is because whoever these people were, they had saved his life in the Divide, they had killed an entire Legion Frumentarii squad. "Yes Man continue to monitor. Do not engage laser defenses unless these people show hostile intent."

"You got it!" Yes Man said cheerfully.

Jason's companions were shocked. "Jason, what are you doing?" Cass asked.

"Taking a leap of faith." The Courier said.

Before anyone could say anything, Yes Man spoke up. "Exciting news! The Legion's massing troops in a staging area east of the dam! Attack imminent! Monster of the East, ready to roll!"

This was it. The Second Battle for Hoover Dam was starting. "Let's go guys!" Jason said as Yes Man produced the override control module needed to reroute power from Hoover Dam to the Securitron Vault.

Jason, Boone, Cass, Veronica, and Rex all boarded the elevator and readied their weapons. Jason, with his All-American rifle and his elite riot gear ready, mentally began to prepare for his upcoming fight with Legate Lanius.

**The Devil's Throat**

Past the irradiated crater were four figures, three of them in combat armor, one in Desert Ranger armor. The same armor worn by the Desert Rangers that had protected Nevada ever since their inception from the fires of the Great War.

The man wearing that armor was Kane Bailey, Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel Paladin who proudly fought for the Nevada Rangers. For years he and the Rangers had fought against Caesar's Legion until the NCR came into the picture. In 2271, when the Desert Rangers signed the Ranger Unification Treaty, they were absorbed in the NCR Rangers. In exchange, the NCR moved in to secure Hoover Dam and Nevada from the Legion. Bailey didn't believe in the treaty though. He believed that the Desert Rangers absorption into the NCR erased everything they had stood for since their birth. Because of his refusal to be apart of the NCR, he left the Rangers behind and traveled east until he met up with the Midwestern Brotherhood. Bailey found new purpose with the Brotherhood, fighting for the people of the wasteland instead of the economic benefits of the NCR.

On the chest plate of his armor was both the Brotherhood and Desert Rangers insignias, crossed in together. The 5'7" man stood tall and proud as he looked off towards the horizon where the lights of Vegas still shined bright. His steely blue eyes looking through the Ranger combat helmet's night vision lenses.

"Glad to be back Bailey?" A member of his squad asked.

Bailey barely glanced back. "Depends. We'll see how everything goes." He slung his suppressed M14 EBR over his shoulder and grabbed his radio. "Shadow Scout this is Desert Steel, come in over."

A few seconds later Eric's voice came over the radio. _"Desert Steel? I read you loud and clear brother. Long time no talk."_

Bailey smirked. He and his squad had worked together with Lion's Pride on numerous occasions. Kane always found Eric to be one of the best leaders and probably one of the most noble people in the wasteland. "Yes, it has. Listen, we're currently by the Devil's Throat in the northeast sector of the Mojave. General Monroe figured you could use a hand in case any unforeseen events come into play."

"_Hey, the more the merrier. We'll see you soon."_

**Near Forlorn Hope**

The Pride's sniper, Richard Spreng carefully monitored the Colorado River from his well dug and well concealed sniper's nest close to forlorn hope. Looking down the scope of his suppressed M110 rifle, he spotted several Legion soldiers pushing boats along the river. There had to be hundreds of the red skirt bastards.

He pulled out his radio. "LT, we got a problem. I've got hundreds of Legion troops moving along the Colorado. They're about to cash in their chips."

**Freeside**

Eric spoke into his radio so his whole squad could hear him. "Understood. All Pride members listen up! The Legion's launching their attack. Spreng, alert Forlorn Hope and provide aid from the shadows. Marin stay hidden at Camp Golf. Reynold's provide support at Novac. Toshi, Williams, I want you to leave Novac and help Spreng to keep the Legion from advancing across the river!" When he received acknowledgement from his squad, he looked to those in the room with him. "Carter, you'll stay here and help the Kings in case they get any trouble. Melissa, AJ… where's Myers?"

**General Oliver's Office**

Inside the NCR General's office at Hoover Dam, the Pride's expert marksman, disguised as an NCR Ranger, was hacking away at the computer and downloading all information she could get. One file she came across immediately caught her attention… her blood ran cold when she finished reading. She had turned her radio down so no one would hear her. Turning the volume back up, she spoke. "Marin listen to me. I need you to shadow Chief Hanlon. Do not let him out of your sights!" She whispered.

"_Myers! Where are you?"_ Eric asked.

"I'm at the Dam LT… why?"

"_Get out of there! The Legion's launching their attack!"_

An explosion echoed throughout the dam, making Myers draw the cowboy repeater she had "acquired."

"Fuck my life." She said preparing for one hell of a fight.

**Freeside**

"AJ link up with Myers!" Eric ordered, but the squad gunner was already out the door in a dead sprint to go help his assistant gunner.

"_Shadow Scout this is Desert Steel. I've got a battalion of Legion soldiers trying to flank their way around the northeast towards Camp Guardian." _Paladin Bailey informed in a whisper over the radio.

"We're heading to you now. Can you keep them distracted until then?" Melissa asked.

Kane chuckled through the radio. _"Here I thought you were going to give me a challenge."_

Eric walked over to Carter's radio. "Captain Thompson do you hear me?"

"_I hear you Eric."_

"Redirect your airborne units to the northeast sector of the Mojave. We've got a massive Legion force trying to punch their way around." Eric told the Ranger Captain.

"_Copy. Chief Kalani did you get that?"_

"_Roger. Task Force Halo inbound to give the Legion a whole new way to hurt!"_ Chief Kalani said as the Marines on his helicopter could be heard letting out their historic battle cry. _"OORAH!"_

"Kane. You've got reinforcements on the way! We're heading to you now." Eric said before he and Melissa grabbed their weapons and left the building to take on the Enemy of the East.

Carter got back on his radio. "Shadow Command this is Shadow Scout, the Legion is on the move! I say again, the Legion is on the move!"

Though the Battle for Hoover Dam was just starting, the real Battle for the Mojave has yet to come.

* * *

**AND THAT WRAPS IT UP FOR CHAPTER 2! What did Myers find on General Oliver's terminal that got her spooked? And I hope you're all ready because the next chapter is going to be BIGGER! SOOOO MUCH BIGGER! SO MUCH FIGHTING! The Legion is about to meet it's downfall.**

**As always, remember to leave a like or follow or review. I welcome reviews and I welcome reviews with constructive criticism as always, just be polite.**

**NCRMC signing off to send those RED SKIRT BASTARDS TO HELL! **


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